


Feral Devotion

by snakemittens



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alpha Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Werewolf, Anal Sex, Attempt at Humor, Begging, Bonding, Bottom Eren Yeager, Fluff, Knotting, M/M, Marking, Multiple Orgasms, Omega Eren Yeager, Oral Sex, Overstimulation, Protective Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Rimming, Scent Marking, Scenting, Top Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Werewolf Eren Yeager, Werewolf Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), sled dogs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-10
Updated: 2018-07-26
Packaged: 2018-10-17 03:58:59
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 41,199
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10585977
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/snakemittens/pseuds/snakemittens
Summary: I said: I could be a wolf for you. I could put my teeth on your throat. I could growl. I could eat you whole. I could wait for you in the dark. I could howl against your hair. - Catherynne M. ValenteEren Jaeger resides in a snowy village that treats him and his faithful companion like an outcast. One wild ride on a dogsled later and his fate takes a strange, feral turn.





	1. Chapter 1

Eren skidded through the snow, hoping to catch a glimpse. The sled dogs were running in, being mushed by their racer. There was snow in his boots and his jacket was torn to pieces, but that didn’t stop him from climbing on top of a wooden crate to get a better view of the main road that went straight through Shiganshina.

“Levi, come on,” he called for Levi, his own dog. The black mutt was at his heels, chasing after him. Eren always prided himself on how well Levi was trained. He didn’t need a collar or leash; Levi always followed him around obediently. Eren couldn’t remember how long he and Levi had been together, it felt like his entire twenty years of life.

Eren’s eyes lit up as the teams of sled dogs, purebred Alaskan Huskies, sped down the road toting their mushers behind them. “Team Erwin is as fast as ever,” Eren marveled. The teams were named after the leading dog, in this case was a beautiful golden husky named Erwin. The team worked in perfect unity led by Erwin and their musher grinned like a fool as they sped in first.

“I bet mom had a whole team of dogs just like that. They say she was the fastest there ever was,” Eren told Levi for the thousandth time that week.

“Your mother was reckless and got herself killed in the mountains, thinking she was better than the rest of us,” a townsperson venomously reminded him. “She was nothing but a whore with some mutts towing her around. She went and got knocked up by some tribesman out in the middle of god knows where. Then, she dumped you off here for the good doctor to take care of you. Now he’s gone and what’s left? Just a pile of rubbish.”

“Don’t you _dare_ talk about my mother that way.” Eren raised a trembling fist, hopping down from the crate for a better stance. Levi growled at his heels, flashing pearly fangs. He could ignore what they said about him, but he wouldn’t allow them to soil his mother’s name.

“Don’t get any ideas, Eren. You’re a useless _mutt_ just like that fucking _beast_ you tote around,” he threatened. “Hurt me and you’ll be thrown into the mountains to be eaten by the wolves… unless this one takes you first. We all know he’s a wolf, or at least half-wolf.”

Eren bit the inside of his cheek and froze in place, attempting to find some sort of calm. He turned his back and walked away before he got into a fight. It just wasn’t worth it. He put a hand between Levi’s ears to calm him down, stroking the short fur until he stopped growling and trudged off down a snowy alley. He took the backdoor into Dot Pixis’s teashop. Often times, he was allowed to sit in the back storage room out of the cold. Dot was there, sorting through a new shipment and gave Eren a frown. “Oh, Eren, I didn’t expect to see you here so soon. Did something happen?”

“I just, uh, didn’t have anywhere else to go…” Eren hated admitting it. Minister Nick kicked him out of the church because ‘wolves weren’t allowed inside’. Of course, Eren would never leave Levi to sit out in the cold. He’d been kicked out of several barns. Now, the storage room was his last hope to escape the bitter cold.

“I’m really sorry, Eren, but I’ve gotten some complaints. Someone saw you come in here with Levi and accused us of serving tea with wolf hair in it. I’m going to have to ask you to leave… You understand, right?” Dot’s face showed pure sympathy; apparently this wasn’t an easy conversation for him to start.

Eren stepped back through the doorframe, the wind hitting his face like a slap. “It’s fine, thanks for letting me stay earlier,” he mumbled. He knew he’d eventually be shooed away.

Eren sat with his back up against the brick buildings, huddling up into a ball to preserve warmth. Levi sat next to him and leaned his entire weight on Eren, nearly toppling him over. He whined and set his chin on Eren’s shoulder, as if he were saying _go inside, I’ll stay out here._

“I’m not leaving you out here to freeze,” Eren huffed. Levi just huffed right back.

Levi nipped at Eren’s ankles, forcing him up to his feet. “Hey, hey,” Eren chided. “Stop that.”

Levi whined and took the bottom of his ripped pant leg between his jaws. He tugged Eren along the road. “What? Are you leading me somewhere or something?” he laughed. It wasn’t the first time Levi took him places. Usually it involved finding them something to eat, so Eren was on board with following him.

They stalked through the snowy alleys, zigzagging through the alleyways behind the stores. The snow was dirty and coated with a mixture of trash and ash. Eren didn’t even want to know what he smelled. It seemed like his entire life existed behind the scenes alongside the unwanted and unmentionables. Ever since his mom passed away, he’s felt like it’s been an eternal uphill battle for survival.

Levi barked at him and looked back to make sure Eren was still following him. “Yeah, yeah, I’m coming,” Eren hurried up to keep up with him, jogging turning into running.

“Fucking _heretic_ , what are you studying tribal voodoo or something?” a crass voice goaded.

“There’s an entire tribe of people who live in the caves in the mountains! It’s fascinating to learn about their culture!” another voice sobbed.

Levi and Eren approached the scene of a fight. A little blond-haired boy was cornered between three local bullies. They had already roughed up the blond some and looked to go for another round.

“Hey!” Eren caught their attention. “Stop that! Leave him alone!”

The three bullies just turned and sneered. “Look, it’s the street rat.”

“My mom says he’s crazy.”

“Mine says not to touch him. He has a disease and probably fleas too.”

“Why can’t he just freeze already?”

“Don’t worry, he’ll end up as wolf food soon. It’s only a matter of time before that wolf he runs around with turns on him.”

Eren was growling just as loud as Levi was. It only spurred them on.

“Look! He thinks he’s turning into a wolf!”

“What a freak!”

“Guys, stop…” the blond piped up.

“Shut it, we’re not done with you yet,” one of them quieted him and grabbed him by the hair. “Maybe you should watch what they’re going to do to the hobo because we’re going to do the same thing to you next.”

Eren took a swing at the first one, hitting them square in the jaw and sending them to the snowy ground. He kicked the other one down as well and stomped on their foot. The third one was glaring now, threw the blond to the side, and tackled Eren to the ground. They punched him in the stomach, causing Eren to let out a ‘ha’ noise as he lost his breath.

Levi was snarling and grabbed the kid by their shirt, dragging them off Eren and across the ground. Eren scrambled to his feet and shouted, “Levi! Don’t bite him!” Levi paused immediately, holding the kid down by their shirt. “Don’t give them a reason to put you down,” Eren spoke softer. He looked to the blond who was staring with wide eyes, “Go.”

The blond gave him a nod of silent thanks and scurried from wherever he came from. Eren snapped his fingers and started running, “Let’s go, Levi.”

The two of them continued on their journey until they made it to the edge of town. The snow began to get deeper, coming up to Eren’s ankles and seeping through his worn shoes. Levi pressed on but Eren stopped. They’d never left the town; going too far out was like a suicide mission. Going too far out meant certain death. “Levi…” Eren pursed his trembling lips together. The cold was soaking into his bones, making them stiff. His nose ran and the snot froze to his face. “I can’t go out that far. You know that.”

Levi whined and whimpered, using his face to push Eren forward a few more steps. “No, Levi,” Eren was firm this time. “The things who can go out there are mushers and sled dogs. Let’s stop wasting time and find somewhere to stay for the night.”

Eren turned to see a flash of blond peer out from behind one of the crumbling brick buildings. When the blond knew he was caught, he stepped out from the shadows and stuttered, “I, uh, thought I’d, um, thank you.”

Eren stepped up to the boy and put a hand on his blond head, “Yeah, no problem. If they bother you again, let me know. We went easy on them this time.”

“Is… is it true?” the blond asked.

“Is what true?”

“That, uh, your dog is, uh, uh, a wolf.”

Eren glanced between the blond and Levi. Levi’s ears were perked up and he was still looking out to the vast tundra outside of town. The wind blew the loose snow around in swirling spirals, a view that would have been beautiful if Eren weren’t afraid of being swallowed up by the cold. Levi’s pure black coat collected some of the white dust. His stature was larger than the normal sled dogs, but not as large as a typical wolf’s size. He seemed stuck somewhere in the middle. With no knowledge of where he even came from, Eren couldn’t honestly answer the question.

“I don’t know,” he finally said. “But Levi is loyal. He’s smart. And he’s stuck with me ever since I can remember. He might be a wolf or part wolf. But to me, he’s a friend. I wouldn’t abandon him, even if he were a wolf.”

“My parents own the library in town and we live in the apartment above it. You’re free to stay for the night. As thanks for saving me back there,” the blond confidently spoke, straightening up a little.

Eren took a few steps closer and grinned at the small victory. “Really? Thank you so much! And Levi can stay too? I promise we won’t make a mess. He’s the cleanest dog I know!”

“Just as long as we can keep it a secret,” the boy nodded, smiling too. Eren’s smiles were contagious in that way, especially when he wouldn’t have to spend another night shivering inside a makeshift igloo.

 

 

Eren stuck out his hand to his new savior, “Eren Jaeger.”

“Oh, ah, I know. Armin Arlert.” Armin shook Eren’s freezing hand and the two boys started on their way to the library.

“So, what were those kids upset about?” Eren had to ask.

“They think I’m… strange.”

“Why? You seem perfectly fine to me.”

“They saw me reading a book about the tribesman that live in the mountains. But… how can we just ignore an entire group of people that began this colony? Everything we know originated from their methods of staying alive! They used to use wolves as sled dogs, which is where our dogs came from, years of domesticity shaping them into what they are today. Our homes made from bricks came from their ideas. Our medicine evolved from their work with herbs. It’s… fascinating and impossible to reject! Of course we descended from them! Why are they treated like outsiders when everything we have is because of them!?” Armin’s volume grew alongside his passion. A snowball hit the back of his head, shutting him up. Both Eren and Levi looked behind them to see the same group of kids keeping their distance and snickering.

Armin sighed and continued with softer tones, “That’s why I don’t think your relationship with Levi is that strange. If you trust each other, what’s the problem? He might be a wolf, but what does that matter? It’s not like he hurts anyone. People are just… afraid, I guess. Afraid of people different from themselves.”

They approached the library and snuck behind it to the back entrance. Armin used a key to unlock the door and let Eren and Levi in. Eren wanted to cry and sing hallelujah when the sudden wave of warmth washed over him. Levi shook the cold out of his coat and sniffed the lightly perfumed air.

“It should be fine if you stay back here. You can let yourself out in the morning…” Armin grabbed some old blankets from a cupboard and ushered Eren to a worn couch near the back of the room. “Thanks again… let me know if you don’t have anywhere to stay tomorrow.” Eren nodded and watched as Armin went up the stairs to the apartments above.

“Well, this worked out nicely…” Eren slipped his boots off and fell into the soft couch. Levi curled up in the small space beside him, huffing. “Are you still mad I wouldn’t follow you outside of town? Are you nuts? We’ll die out there, you know that.”

Another huff from Levi. He shuffled closer to Eren, practically laying on top of him. He pressed his cold, wet nose into Eren’s jaw and gave him a little lick.

“Yeah, yeah, goodnight to you too,” Eren scratched his ears and snuggled into the blankets and Levi’s warmth. The couch sure beat lying on Dot’s wooden floor using Levi as a pillow.

 

He kept getting nudged by Levi’s face, which left him begrudgingly awake. “What is it, Levi?”

A low growl caused Eren to jolt up, offended. Levi was on the ground, pawing at him. “Good morning to you too, you ass. What’s the big deal?”

The sun was barely rising over the horizon and Eren wiped the sleep away from his eyes. “Oh, right, we have to go.” He stretched, put on his shoes, and left the library with lament. The cold greeted him as violently as usual, biting and whipping at him. It punished him for being a failure, an unwanted. Eren bit back, pulling his coat of rags a little closer to his body and beginning the morning scouting mission for breakfast.

But, apparently, Levi didn’t get the memo. Levi yipped and growled, leading Eren on a wild goose chase through the alleyways. He seemed to be looking for something, guiding Eren towards some hidden treasure. The only treasure Eren wished for was a warm meal and perhaps some boots that didn’t always seem to be damp.

Levi came to a halt when he reached the backside of the wood worker’s association. They dumped all their old projects behind the shop for people to take for firewood. Eren sighed, “What, are we going camping or something?”

Levi hooked his teeth on something and started prying it out of the mess. “Oh, you want to play fetch? Now all of a sudden you’ll be a normal dog and play with me?” Eren taunted him, helping him heave out his desired stick.

Out of the mix didn’t come a fetching stick, but rather the remnants of an old sled. Eren recognized it immediately. This was Team Erwin’s old sled.

From behind the shop, he could hear the voices. “That’s a beautiful sled you made for Team Erwin, Mike. It’s a shame they chose to throw the old one out.”

“Too many liabilities handing over an old sled. It’s taken a beating over the years.”

“I’ll say. They went everywhere in that old thing. What’s the new one made out of?”

“Pine. I made the new harnesses from leather shipped in from the South.”

Eren brushed off the old sled and ran his hand along the wood. It wasn’t as smooth as he expected, it was a bit rough and worn down. Levi dug out a leather harness from under the pile of discarded trash and nosed at Eren to shove the thing in his hand.

“Fine, okay, weirdo. Your big dreams are coming true today,” Eren laughed, slipping the harness over Levi’s body. It was a little snug, but Levi didn’t seem to mind at all. Eren hooked him up to the sled and stood on the back end. He ran his hands over the wood again and sucked in a hindered breath. “Mush,” Eren whispered, wondering what it would be like to be a real musher.

Levi took it as a go-ahead and took off along the familiar alleyways until he finally burst out onto the main street. There was a sudden outburst from passing townspeople.

“Jaeger _stole_ a sled!”

“That beast is on a rampage!”

“Someone stop them!”

But Levi kept hurdling down the road until they passed the town limits. The path became less distinct, but the sled glided right over the icy snow.

The wind that typically whipped and slapped Eren’s face became new. It no longer harassed him but rather raced against him, pushing him from behind as they took off faster and faster through uncharted territory. The snow that slowed him and chained him to the town became his runway for takeoff, accelerating their speed and allowing them to fly. The cloudless morning sky made the snow sparkle and shine. Everything that he had hated suddenly became so beautiful.

Eren found himself laughing and crying, the cold tears streaking across his face. He hollered into the frozen void, his voice echoing and carrying through the endless snowy plains. He was completely alone, aside from Levi. No one could judge him, scold him, or scorn him. He was no longer fighting for life. He was truly living and relishing the moment of freedom.

They were so far away from town, but Eren didn’t care. They headed towards a thick forest of evergreens and he marveled at how the trees were so large and proud. They withstood the eternal winter and grew despite the bitter cold and harsh winds. He admired their strength and stared up at their peaks.

And then the sled was skidding out of control. Levi was a heap out front, no longer running but rather flying right towards him in a black, furry ball. Eren bailed from the sled, falling off to the side in a pile of soft snow. He grabbed Levi, pulling him close to his body until they were a stationary pile of limbs and panting on the ground.

Eren spat out a mouthful of snow and coughed. The breath had been knocked out of him and he struggled to take in more air. “What… happened?” he wondered aloud.

“You make it so fucking difficult to provide for you,” a new, low voice groaned.

Eren shoved Levi off him to look around the area. No one new was in sight. “Hello?” Eren asked tentatively, scrunching up his brow in confusion.

A movement from the side brought his eyes to Levi. Though, it wasn’t… Levi…

A short man was glaring at him. He wore a black furry pelt that covered his body and swept the black hair from his face. Black streaks were painted on his cheeks and he wore black furry boots. “I’ve been trying to get you out here for _years_. We could have made it on foot, you know. It’s not like I can’t kill for you. It’s not like I can’t keep you warm at night.”

Eren scrambled back through the snow, unable to believe his eyes.

“I could have given you a home, you know. We could have been home by now. But _no_ , Eren just couldn’t part with a town that treated him like shit. If I weren’t so fucking worried about you, I would have killed them all.”

“You… are…” Eren stammered.

The guy squinted. “I’m Levi. And you’re Eren. Okay, let’s keep moving. Sorry, it would have been faster if I would have changed later, but we’re so close I couldn’t contain myself any further. Being trapped in that form for so long does a thing to a man. It’s almost insufferable.” He turned to look at Eren. “Don’t tell me you’re afraid.”

Eren was stunned, pinned to the ground by pure astonishment.

The guy’s expression softened. He took a few steps toward Eren and knelt down to meet his gaze. Eren saw the same grey eyes as Levi always had. But this… man… wasn’t his faithful companion. Was he?

The guy rolled his eyes. “Here, let me just get you accustomed to the situation.”

Before Eren’s eyes, the guy shifted back into a wolf in a blur of black fur and changing limbs. In one second, the man shifted back into his familiar, loyal pup. And, one more second later, his pup shifted into a man. “See?”

Levi took Eren’s hand and lifted him to his feet. “I wish I had something better for you to wear, but we’re not far. We can warm you up and get you some food when we get there.”

Levi kept a firm hold on Eren’s hand as they trekked through the forest. They made it a few silent minutes before Eren stopped. “Look, Levi… I can’t… I don’t…” Where were the words? The words that explained Eren had no idea what was going on. The words that clearly stated this whole situation was pure madness. Eren was left speechless and unable to act on his emotions.

Levi gave him a firm pull forward and kept his eyes forward. “Your mom fell in love with one of our tribesman, that much is true. Her team of sled dogs were, in fact, werewolves like myself. They ran medicine to the towns that couldn’t be reached by normal means. But, as it goes, the townspeople called her a witch or something. You know how people are. Small-minded… cruel… They banished her, even though she never hurt a single one of them. She knew you’d do better with your own kind, seeing as you never presented as a wolf. She left you with a doctor… Grisha, I think his name was.

But one night, you showed signs of turning. He sent a message to our tribe and they sent me to… watch over you. I was supposed to bring you here once I was certain you were one of us.”

“One of you? A wolf? I don’t…”

“You do in your sleep. It’s why no one lets us stay for long. They see two sleeping wolves in their shop and freak out. They come up with excuses, even though we’re not hurting anyone. Humans. They’re… despicable.”

The snow crunched softly beneath their feet. Levi continued after a bout of silence. “Once we get back to our village, I’ll make things right. I’ll give you a good life, Eren. You’ve suffered enough.”

Eren was shocked into silence. He stared with dead eyes at Levi’s back and carried on, unsure of what else to do or say.

“I won’t hurt you, you know…” Levi spoke as if he were talking to some wounded animal, afraid to frighten it.

That was something Eren knew he could respond to with certainty. “I know.”

“Good.”

* * *

The village was just as Levi remembered. He’d been away for fifteen years, but nothing changed a bit. Beyond the timberline stood a proud little village with several wooden cabins scattered about. A huge fire burned in the center. Huge wooden statues dedicated to their ancestors decorated the border of their territory.

It didn’t take long for them to smell them. Two members of his tribe came bounding over in human form, dressed in pelts representing their wolfish colors. Isabel in white and red furs while Farlan’s was a lighter brown shade. They’d gotten so big since Levi had last seen them, but still wore the same dorky smiles.

“Big brother!” Isabel sang, crashing into him in a sloppy hug. “You’re back!”

“Good to see you didn’t burn the place down,” Levi muttered into her hair. She’d never been one for personal boundaries.

“Who said we didn’t? We just made sure to build it back the same before you came home,” Farlan joked. “And is this Eren?”

All eyes were on Eren who wore a dumbfounded, clueless look. Levi pursed his lips. Eren hadn’t said a thing on their journey there and his expression didn’t change a bit. He looked… afraid? Levi couldn’t tell for sure. Eren’s erratic shifting muted his scents, making it difficult for Levi to read his emotions.

“Yeah, this is Eren,” Levi confirmed. “He’s… not feeling well.”

Isabel quirked at him, “You seem concerned.”

Levi rolled his eyes. “We’re going home for a bit. He’s a little shocked.”

“Really? I mean, it’s not like you just suddenly changed in front of him and expected him to be fine with it, right? I’m sure you eased him into it. It’s not every day you think you’re a human, only to realize you’re not,” Farlan laughed for a bit until he realized Levi’s silence. “Oh, that’s exactly what happened. Goddess, Levi, you can’t freak him out like that.”

“I may have been absent for fifteen years, but I’m still your superior,” Levi growled, his pheromones clouding around them haphazardly. It’d been too long; he forgot how to control them properly.

A whimper from Eren sent the pheromones pumping out even harder.

“You’re scaring him, Levi,” Isabel whined. “Stop that Alpha shit you’re doing. You’re scaring my Omega baby.” She hugged onto Farlan and started releasing her own calming pheromones.

Levi huffed, took Eren’s hand, and dragged him home. The other villagers knew better than to greet him. His scent kept them away from him and his mate. He wasn’t in the mood to deal with anyone else. He just wanted to make sure Eren was okay.

His cabin was bigger than others and finely decorated. Several animal pelts covered the floors and his bed. Caribou horns decorated with colored strings and feathers hung from the ceilings. Levi lit a fire in the hearth to warm the space up. From the corner of his eye, he watched Eren lightly step around the place. He looked up at the hanging antlers and bones, surveyed Levi’s large bed, and tentatively sat down in one of the wooden rocking chairs.

“I want you to tell me what’s going on,” Eren spoke in an oddly serious fashion. Then again, he wasn’t talking to his puppy. God, Levi hated that puppy-voice Eren used on him. It was entirely demeaning, but then again, Eren didn’t know he was talking to a man ten years his senior. “I’ve come to terms that you’re a werewolf. That’s fine. But why have you been tailing me around for years? It seems like you’ve got friends and family that live here and care about you.” Eren smiled at himself just a little, probably appreciating his unintended pun, before sinking back into his sober expression.

“You’re my mate,” Levi spoke as if it were common knowledge. In his world, it was. In Eren’s, not so much. He tried to rephrase in a way Eren would understand. “We’re meant to be together.”

“Uh huh…” Eren’s tone was childish disbelief. He went on to mock the idea, “Of _course_ we are. Of _course_ I’m supposed to date my dog.”

As always, Eren’s irritation grated at Levi’s composure. “One, we’re not dating. We’re mates. Two, I’m _not a dog._ ”

“Right, werewolf, whatever.”

Levi pinched his nose. “Eren. You’re a part of this world and always have been. It’s unfortunate you didn’t grow up following our traditions, but our culture still runs in your veins. You’re _my_ Omega and always will be.”

Eren stood from his seat and spoke through clenched teeth, “This is… ridiculous. I’m leaving.”

“Like hell you are!” Levi put himself between Eren and the door. “You won’t last two minutes outside this village.”

It would be stupid for Eren to go. Here, he had a home, he had food, and he had Levi’s protection. But, as Levi knew, Eren would choose stupid over safety if his freedom were compromised.

Eren seemed conflicted and Levi tried to be empathetic, though it was difficult. He didn’t have to patience to wait for Eren to come around. Levi had waited so long, keeping Eren out of danger and alive for fifteen years. He didn’t want to wait any more.

He left the last of his resolve and took Eren into his arms, hugging him for real. It wasn’t laying on him or nosing his way under Eren’s arm. It wasn’t circling around his legs or resting his head on Eren’s shoulder. This is what he waited for, taking his mate and tucking him safely in his arms. He had planned on making it all official that day, but he wanted to make sure Eren was willing too. Perhaps he’d still be left waiting a little longer. But in that moment, he appreciated the pleasure of holding Eren tightly in his arms.

His pheromones were out of control, wrapping the two of them in a haze of comfort and belonging. Levi felt the instinctual need to fill the room with his scent, reclaiming it as his own and making sure Eren felt safe and secure in the space. Eren fell lax in his arms, as expected, overwhelmed by the strength of Levi’s scent.

Reality set in and Levi pulled away, keeping his hands securely on Eren’s hips. “I have to announce my presence to the elders.” An obligation being second in command. He gave Eren a weary look, “Stay here and I’ll be right back. Okay?”

Eren nodded, looking a little defeated.

“There are some books on our kind if you want to take a look. Maybe think up some questions. Just promise me you won’t leave.”

“Promise,” Eren whispered.

With one last nod, Levi took off towards the main house where their elders resided. He prayed to the goddesses that Eren would stay put.

* * *

Eren had his hand on the door handle, ready to make a run for it. His heart was ricocheting throughout his chest. He didn’t want to leave Levi, his one true friend. He knew trekking out into the winter tundra would get him killed. He assumed there was some sort of rhyme and reason to the chaos around him, but wasn’t sure if he had the heart to stick through it all.

It bothered him that he found Levi, his _pet_ , attractive. He had the same eyes he’s always had and it looked like he could see right through Eren’s soul. And his _scent_ was enough to make his knees weak. Eren scrunched up his nose a few times, still buried in the humidity of the scent. He’d never experienced something like that before, a comforting cloud of warmth and comfort. The scent seemed like home and told every fiber of his being to stay put.

Eren strode across the room to the bookshelf, pawing through several books in different languages until he found one he could understand. _The Alpha and the Omega,_ it was titled with a painting of two wolves on it. It seemed like a good place to start.

_For centuries, werewolves have biologically divided themselves into two roles of survival. Alphas are born pack leaders, they are built for combat, and they take on a masculine role in family matters. Omegas take on a feminine role with the ability to bear and nurse pups during mating season where they go through a week of peak fertility called a ‘heat’._

Eren flipped through some more pages.

_Pheromones can be released naturally by both Alphas and Omegas. The more mature the wolf, the easier it is to control and manipulate these scents. Dominant scents are used to threaten, comfort, and arouse while submissive scents are released instinctually to mark territory and signal others in the pack. Most wolves can create their own scent patterns to accomplish objectives such as forcing submission or influencing another to change forms._

Another few pages.

_An Omega’s heat throws their body into a mating frenzy. Their desire to mate will trump all other needs, including the internal need to stay alive. If an Omega goes without a mate during their heat, their body will endure a pain so strong that most do not make it through._

Eren inwardly cringed and moved on.

_The goddesses choose mates at birth. An instinctual, magnetic pull drives the two together. Typically, the Alpha will experience this instinct first and attempt to woo their mate with acts of protection, providing food and shelter, and showing signs of affection. The Omega will reciprocate by staying close to their mate, showing acts of submission, and attempt to seduce their chosen mate._

Eren slammed the book shut and threw it back into the shelf. He felt vindicated, those needy emotions in his heart finally making sense. He hated the thought of being separated from Levi. He hated the thought of Levi leaving him, even for however long he needed to speak with his… elders. Eren wasn’t sure he could force his feet to step out of that doorway. He wasn’t sure he could leave the village. For the first time, he wasn’t sure pure determination could power his actions.

Rather, his body felt on fire. His eyes were watering and he sunk to the ground due to the sheer weight of gravity. His gasps turned to growls.

* * *

Levi walked into his home to find a shaking, whimpering red wolf curled up on his bed. As much as Levi wanted to bare his fangs and sink them into Eren’s neck, claiming him and marking him as his own, he knew that wasn’t what Eren needed. Levi hated himself for not being there for him, but knew he couldn’t dwell in regret. He knelt by Eren’s side and ran his fingers through the coarse fur. “Shh, shh,” he softly cooed. “Eren, you’re okay. You’re okay.”

Eren set his face on Levi’s thigh and shuffled a little closer, breathing in the calming pheromones Levi was forcing out. Levi wanted to relish the dependency but his nerves were still alight with panic, the same panic Eren was suffering. He was conscious this time of his new form and when he turned, he was alone.

“Calm down, Eren,” Levi took a new approach and tried to dominate the situation. “Relax. Breathe.”

Eren’s erratic breathing slowly became steady and rhythmic.

“Think about what you want, Eren. And take it. Do you want to be in your human form again? Take it.”

Just like that, Eren was naked and shaking on the pelts. Levi gathered him up in his arms and pressed Eren’s back to his chest, keeping his arms locked around his middle. “You’re okay, Eren. You’re okay.”

Eren buried his face in his hands and began sniffling. Levi nosed Eren’s hair compulsively and let his lips flutter around the base of his neck. He wasn’t used to comforting Eren human-to-human, but it wasn’t too different than usual. When Eren would break down when they couldn’t find a decent place to sleep or after they went without a good meal for too long, Levi would always figure out how to get him to calm down. Nose his jaw, lick his face, or distract him with something menial like a game.

The nosing wasn’t working so Levi gave Eren a little lick on the jaw, like always. Eren froze in place and turned to face Levi. While he expected some immature scolding or a slap in the face, Eren’s face was flushed and his lips were parted just barely.

Eren was aroused. Levi could smell it radiating off him uncontrollably. His fellow tribesmen could probably smell it seeping out of the walls of his cabin, but Levi didn’t care. He was drowning in the delicious scent, feeling his core heating up and tightening. He wanted to pin Eren, mount him, and take him for his own. A low growl escaped the back of his throat but was silenced when Eren’s lips collided with his in a sloppy, wet series of licking and sucking. Eren nipped at his lower lip, turning fully to put his hands on Levi’s shoulders for stability.

Levi grabbed his wrists and tackled him onto the bed, their teeth clattering together for just a moment. Eren’s hands were gripping at Levi’s pelt, throwing it off until they were both bare.

Levi had to wonder what was going through Eren’s mind. What turned the speculative, abrasive boy into a more than willing Omega?

* * *

Eren’s body was vibrating with instinctual need. _His_ mate was on top of him, shielding him from the world around them. _His_ mate was sucking on his neck and collarbones, muscles rippling under Eren’s hands. Eren’s hands trailed down between the two of them until his fingers curled around Levi’s twitching cock, full and hard and _fucking perfect._

 _My mate, my mate, my mate,_ the voice in his head kept singing joyously. His body acted on its own while Eren’s mind floated in a blissful, submissive subspace.

“Take me,” Eren whispered, leaning forward to let his lips graze Levi’s earlobe. He nipped it, just a little, and wiggled under his mate with a need for friction.

“Eren, this… we…” Levi was breaking. His resistance was crumbling because of Eren, which only made the Omega darkly, lowly giggle with pride. He’d properly enticed his mate. He carefully let his fingers flutter over Levi’s cock, teasing and tempting him. Eren wanted Levi to submit to _him_. To maul him and swallow him whole, forgetting about the world around them.

Levi still tried to bring sense into the situation, “Eren, this is… your first time…”

“I know. I know you’ll take care of me…” Eren felt a bubble of hot liquid shift between his thighs. It seeped out from his hole and alarmed him slightly, but it felt natural and right.

Levi growled again as if he were fighting against the urge to mate with Eren. Eren snickered at his struggle. “Eren, you’re not thinking straight. You’re new to all this. Your body is telling you… it needs me.”

“I _do_ need you,” Eren whined. He growled back at Levi and shoved him away to sit up. Tears formed in his eyes but he was more than serious. “I _am_ in the right mind and I _know_ I need you. What’s the point of denying it?”

Levi put his hands on Eren’s shoulders, grounding him. “I don’t want you to come out of this, to wake up and realize that this isn’t what you want.”

Eren growled again at being denied another moment without Levi’s body pressed up against his. His changed form made him realize he couldn’t run from the beast inside. The beast was there all along, dormant and happy with Levi by his side. The first moment Levi left him in years left him broken and sobbing, enough to unleash that beast and whimper and howl until his mate came back to him. With everything else spiraling out of the control in his life, Levi stayed the same. He was the same brooding, huffy, protective mate that he’d always had at his side. Now, they could finally be together for _real_ and Eren didn’t want to waste another second.

So what if Eren woke up the next day and regretted everything? He trusted Levi. What else mattered?

Something must have clicked inside Levi’s head, whether he finally realized how much Eren trusted him or needed him. Still, they stood frozen with Levi holding Eren at arms length.

So Eren took the unspoken words and voiced them, “I love you, Levi.”

And he did. He loved Levi and always had. The dynamic shifted from friend to lover, but the underlying emotions were unchanged. Levi was chosen just for him, born just to be his mate. And Eren was chosen to be Levi’s mate too. A thousand voices from the sky urged him forward, encouraged him to give his heart to Levi, and sang jubilantly when Eren leaned forward to kiss Levi once more.

This time, Levi melted into him and let Eren devour his lips. Levi sucked on Eren’s lower lip and snuck his tongue inside to claim Eren’s mouth. He tickled the roof of Eren’s mouth with his tongue and poked at Eren’s elongating canines.

Levi’s hands were exploring Eren’s body. From the countless dips in the lake during the summer and brief showers when they came across one, Levi had seen Eren’s naked body plenty of times. Still, it was different and made Eren blush. Eren was thin from lack of food, but Levi’s fingers drew lazy circles around his protruding ribs as if promising plenty of feasts in the future.

Levi, on the other hand, was fit and beautiful with alabaster skin over built muscles. Unlike his coarse, black fur his hair was soft and feathery. Eren ran his fingers through it, gripping onto it to keep Levi’s attention focused on him (not like it took much effort).

Levi’s hands trailed down his back, leaving a line of shivers as he slipped down to the crest of his ass. Two fingers dipped under him and he let out a growly, satisfied hum. “You’re so wet for me, Eren…”

Eren nodded and tried to lift his ass up for better access. Levi’s fingers were teasing him, gliding over the slick moisture between his cheeks and grazing over his throbbing hole. All he wanted was something _inside._ He was panting and thrusting his hips up with no apparent destination, craving the movement. “Levi,” he whined. “Will you…? I’ll do _anything_.”

“Eren, are you crying?” Levi chuckled, wiping away the tears streaking down Eren’s face. “My sweet, little pup…”

Eren hadn’t realized it but he believed it. His instincts were telling him he needed Levi, no matter what. He wanted Levi to fuck him, to bite him, to devour him whole like the wolf he was.

Levi pushed him back and left kisses down his throat, chest, and abdomen until his lips were leaving a myriad of little kisses along Eren’s weeping shaft. One hand came up and started pinching at Eren’s nipple, rolling the peak under his thumb and pulling at it just enough to make Eren squeal and thrust his hips upwards.

“Levi…” Eren panted, another wave of moisture ran down between his cheeks.

“Let me pleasure you, Eren. I want to make you cry some more…” Levi smirked with his lips pressed to Eren’s cock before licking at the tip and taking it into his mouth.

The hot, wet cavity made Eren’s cock throb and tingle. He sighed with a pinch of relief and Levi sucked and licked dutifully until Eren’s cock was dripping wet with saliva and precum. But, still, it just wasn’t enough to tame the growing hunger in his abdomen.

“F-fuck me, Levi. Please? Please?” Eren was crying, just as Levi wanted. Those tears were flowing just for his mate, just to prove his desperation. “I want to be yours…”

Levi increased his speed, twirling his tongue around Eren’s erection and sucking him down to the hilt, nosing his public hair and cupping his balls. Eren had no chance; he came in Levi’s mouth without any warning. His mate took his orgasm in stride, swallowing the entirety of Eren’s seed and releasing his tired cock with a _pop_. “You taste so _good_ , Eren. A beautiful, delectable little pup… All mine…”

Levi kissed his way up Eren’s torso until he captured his lips once again. Eren could taste his salty essence on Levi’s tongue, but was distracted from the flavor by Levi’s own erection lining up to pierce Eren’s waiting hole. “I want you just like this, tight and ready for me,” Levi murmured between kisses. “It might hurt, Eren. But I’m going to take you. Okay?”

Eren nodded, not wanting to waste any more time. His asshole was _dripping_ with anticipation and Eren arched his back to give Levi a better angle. Levi was right; the moment he pressed in he was stretched unbearably. Eren squeaked into Levi’s collarbone and his mate stopped moving.

“Do you want me to stop?” he asked in a husky tone.

Eren shook his head and blinked away the tears. “How… much… further?”

“A little more than half way.”

Eren’s stomach fluttered. His mate was so well endowed and prepared to pleasure him, to take him fully. “Okay,” he whispered and Levi slowly commenced, in and out, until he ran out of length.

Eren squirmed on Levi’s dick, again craving that motion. “So eager…” Levi nipped the tip of Eren’s nose. “Want me to move?”

“Yes,” Eren’s voice pitched up when Levi started thrusting before he could even finish the word. He wasn’t slow or methodical at all, but rather quick and frenzied.

Levi’s mouth was consistently kissing Eren’s neck, just below his earlobe. He kissed and sucked until the skin would surely bruise, all while sharply hitching his hips upwards to make Eren gasp and moan.

Something in Eren’s gut spoke for him, “ _Bite me_.”

He expected bursting pain but only felt thunderous pleasure. Levi’s teeth sunk into his skin and Eren leaned into the bite, forcing Levi to deepen the wound. He wanted it to scar, wanted the mark to reside on his skin forever.

Levi drew back and lapped at the blood before pulling out of Eren just long enough to flip him over. He grabbed Eren’s hips and yanked them up, pulling his cheeks apart and giving his seeping hole a few laps. Eren looked back at his mate with awe and tried to catch his breath. “L-Levi…” he blushed furiously while Levi sniffed, stared, and licked at his abused pucker.

“What? Do you want me to fuck you this way? Like the puppy you are?” Levi taunted darkly.

It made Eren shiver. “Y-yes… Please…”

“Mmm,” Levi hummed, kissing Eren’s cheeks before kneeling up and entering him, continuing the same crashing pace as before. This time, his thighs hit Eren’s ass making a delicious smacking sound with every thrust. It joined up with Eren’s unabashed moans and Levi’s beastly growls to create a symphony of feral devotion.

The blood from his neck dripped onto the dark, furry pelt on the bed just like the slick running down his thighs. Eren felt like his whole body was melting and melding into Levi’s, his world spiraling and darkening as he pressed his nose into the fur on the bed. “Levi…” he tried to warn. His cock was tired but sprang to life and threatened to burst once more. One more thrust, one more jolt…

“Eren…” Levi returned, and that was it. His name rolling off his mate’s tongue sent him spurting onto the pelt.

Eren let out one last moan, calling his mate’s name as he felt Levi’s orgasm shake through, and then something new. Levi clung to Eren’s form; folding over him while his cock seemed to expand slowly, locking them into place.

“What… what…?” Eren gasped, unsure of what was happening and a bit nervous. Did something go wrong? The stretch burned and pulling against it only sharpened the pain. He felt Levi shudder followed by the warmth of his seed passing into him.

“So it doesn’t… leak out…” Levi managed to explain, carefully adjusting them to lie on their sides. “Shh, it’s okay, it’s okay.”

With Levi’s gentle affirmations and intoxicating scent left him breathing normally, slowly, and softly. His body felt like a sticky mess of blood, sweat, and tears. Plus all the other fluids that were spread all around. Still, it didn’t matter because Levi was clasped onto him securely. Levi was afraid Eren would regret it, but there was nothing to regret. His body praised him with shivers and shudders of pleasure. The world that typically spun around him violently had finally slowed.

He was exactly where he belonged.

They could work out the other details later. They could figure out what came next another time. In that moment, they were just two people (and two beasts) blissfully in love.


	2. Chapter 2

Eren awoke alarmingly alone, but his tired body let him know there was nothing to fear. He stretched his limbs rather languidly as they still ached from sleep. His backside felt rather sore as well, but he was too elated to worry about it. After so long, he was finally where he belonged. He was home. It wasn’t a fact he needed logic for- he felt it in his heart and that was good enough for him. How could he refuse a warm place to sleep after battling frostbite and sleepless nights for so long? After blinking away the sleep from his eyes, he tried to recollect the previous day and just how drastically his life changed after one sled-ride through the tundra. Levi, his dog, wasn’t just a dog. Levi was his mate.

A hand came up to the new bite-marks on his neck, grazing over the scabs as lightly as possible to feel the marking. Eren wasn’t sure why, but the mark felt right there and it gave him a certain sensation of wholeness that he’d always been missing. It was as if a certain part of him joined up with the other broken pieces to form an actual person rather than a broken mess. He smiled at the mere thought of wearing the scars given to him by Levi. As a man who constantly followed his heart, the restless emotions fluttering through it made everything seem right rather than scary. Magical seemed to be a fitting word.

He stared up at the ceiling where some ornaments hung. Antlers wound with beaded strings, lanterns that had died out overnight, and several pelts that were strung up along the walls and ceilings. The fireplace was still lit, radiating a welcoming heat that Eren hadn’t felt in ages. Under the furry blankets, he felt so cozy and safe. They even smelled of Levi which made them even better. A little bookcase sat next to a rocking chair. A set of drawers was left in the corner with various sparkling objects sitting on top. He guessed the closed door across the room led to a bathroom. Overall, the cabin was spacious, cozy, and Eren-approved.

The door creaked open, but Eren already knew who it was based on the heady scent accompanying him. Levi was human still, dressed in dark pelts, and carrying a bundle of geese by their necks as their dead bodies hung uselessly in his grasp. The moment Levi saw Eren, he dropped the geese to the floor and ran to the bed, kneeling beside it. “I didn’t think you’d wake up so early,” he muttered. “Sorry. I should have been here. It’s customary that I stay with you after that… I didn’t really have the time to prepare very well for this. Normally, I’d have enough food around to feed you for a few days straight, but under our circumstances… It’s just… you need to eat.” His manner of speaking was almost worried and awkward, but Eren found it oddly endearing.

“It’s fine,” Eren shrugged and looked to the geese. “So, what? Are we going to turn into wolves and devour them raw? Feathers and all?”

“If that’s what you prefer,” Levi stared at him with a blank expression, completely serious.

“No, thanks. I know I’ve eaten a lot of questionable things in my lifetime, but I don’t think I want to die from eating raw birds.”

“Questionable doesn’t even begin to cover what you’ve eaten over the years,” Levi huffed. “I planned on cooking them, though. It’s only customary.”

“Customary?” There was that word again.

“An Alpha should prepare their mate a meal after their first joining,” Levi picked the birds back up off the floor and trailed around the room as he gathered up a knife and a bucket. “I know you wouldn’t want to eat fox, because you think they’re too _cute_. I didn’t think you’d approve of me bringing back a baby caribou for you either. Rabbits are out of the question. So, I brought you geese.”

“Foxes _are_ cute.” It was Eren’s turn to huff in stubborn pouting. He’d always wondered why Levi would always whine whenever he talked about how cute the wildlife was. To Levi, they were just food. Eren assumed, eventually, he’d get over his reservations and feel the same way. Or perhaps he’d find a rabbit to adopt as a pet just to irk the werewolf.

“Anyway, I’ve got to go cook these. Help yourself to the bathroom while I’m gone. I shouldn’t be too long, I’m fairly good at slicing up meat.” Levi left the cabin with a little, awkward wave with the fist full of bird that left the dead geese flailing in his hand.

With the rabbit-musing occupying his thoughts, he made his way toward the bathroom. His sticky thighs and reeking pits demanded some soap and he hoped Levi had enough to wash away the weeks of filth he’d built up. The bathroom was small, but functional. It had all the basic necessities and, luckily, an entire bar of soap that smelled like mint and lemons. Eren stepped into the large, round basin in the corner of the room and turned on the shower. Hot water never felt so good as Eren let it fall over his shoulders and down his body, thawing any cold that was left in his skinny body.

He firstly scrubbed through his hair and noted that he’d need to cut it again in the next few days. Normally, he’d find or borrow a blade to keep it short and out of his face. After a few months without the opportunity, it had gotten a little shaggy for his taste. With his hair taken care of, he moved on to soaping up his entire body from head to toe and indulging in a long soak.

When he finally got the motivation to rip himself from the newfound heaven, he struggled to find something to dry himself with that wasn’t covered in a thick, course fur. Just as he was picking up his old, raggedy clothes Levi popped back in. The werewolf strut right up to Eren, grabbed the stained shirt, jacket, and pants and tossed them right into the hearth. Eren squeaked at the loss, “Hey, that’s all I had!”

“That’s not true at all,” Levi walked past him, ruffling his wet hair a little on his way to the chest of drawers in the corner. He pulled out some pants, a white long-sleeved shirt, and some wool socks. He returned and put the clothes in Eren’s hands. “Everything I have is yours.”

Eren stared down at the fabrics, in awe at how fancy they were. The pants were a tight fit, but lined with warm fur and the socks were sure to keep his toes warm. He slipped on the shirt and shivered into just how _good_ it felt to be properly dressed for once. He turned to Levi and cocked his head to the side, finally getting a moment to look him over.

Levi wore the same tight pants Eren had with furry, black boots tied up with black twine. He was wearing a black, furry coat as well that reminded Eren of his dog’s thick fur that kept him warm at night. What truly captivated Eren, though, was Levi’s face. It looked so familiar, even though he’d only seen it for a day. Sharp eyes reflected those of his dog’s. His hair was styled uniquely in a way Eren had never seen before, the undercut leaving the longer strands silky and inky as opposed to course fur. Blue markings on his face looked as if they were draw on with paint, they hadn’t left his face since Eren first saw it. Lips that Eren fondly remembered kissing were parted a little, as if Levi were about to say something but couldn’t get it out.

“You look good,” he finally said with a little, lazy smile. “Much warmer now, yeah?”

“Yeah…” Eren agreed, that warmth extending not only to his body temperature but his overall outlook on life as well. He probably should have been frightened or freaked out, but instead he was _excited_. There was so much he didn’t know and wanted to find out. There were so many questions he had for Levi, but wasn’t sure how to phrase them. Every time he looked at Levi’s face, he was so entranced by its magical beauty that he found himself rather speechless. _My mate is gorgeous,_ he couldn’t stop thinking, emphasizing the word ‘mate’ as it still seemed unfamiliar in his mind, yet correct in his heart.

“Normally after mating, I’d ask for you to stay in bed all day today and rest, but I have a feeling you’d rather explore the village,” Levi smirked a little.

“Mating…” Eren muttered the word and blushed at what they had done just the previous night. Something inside him took over and said the most embarrassing things. Eren’s face immediately flushed dark red and he started sputtering, “Mating? I, uh, I didn’t realize… I’ve never really… I don’t, uh… Fuck, that’s so damn embarrassing.”

Two hands came up to cup his cheeks and Levi’s sincere eyes stared right into his. “It’s not embarrassing at all. It was perfect. You have no idea how long I’d waited to get your stubborn ass back here.”

Eren wasn’t completely foreign to sex. He thought about the times in the back of Dot Pixis’s teashop when he’d _experimented_ by touching himself and placing fingers inside himself and… Levi was watching. A new round of cringing embarrassment slapped him across the face and made him want to hide under the bed. At the time, he figured that Levi was just his dog and wasn’t really paying attention. He found himself pushing at Levi’s chest in utter humiliation. “You _pervert_!” Every memory that came to mind only made him sink further and further into a pit of bashful self-consciousness.

“I’m a pervert?” Levi hadn’t budged at Eren’s push, he was left merely questioning Eren’s outburst.

“You’ve seen me… touching myself! You really _were_ watching!” Eren accused with anger on his tongue.

“Oh, is that what you’re upset about? Don’t be embarrassed, puppy, those were some of the best nights of my life,” Levi kissed Eren’s forehead with a little chuckle.

“You’ve seen me do _other_ things too! Couldn’t you have looked away?”

“Other things?”

“I always thought it was creepy that you were watching me shit in the woods, but now I know for sure that you’re a fucking pervert!”

“Yeah, you’ve watched me shit in the woods too, so we’re even. I was just keeping an eye on you.”

“That’s _different_!”

“Is it, though?”

“Yes, it is!” Eren gave Levi another useless shove. “And don’t even get me started on that phase where you were humping my leg all the time!”

“Teenagers have needs,” Levi defended himself calmly. “I was young and a little horny, and you’re cute and difficult for me to resist.”

“A little?” Eren narrowed his eyes.

“Look, when you’re stuck as a dog for years on end, it’s hard to suppress those canine instincts. I apologize, but only for watching you shit in the woods. It’s only instinct for me to keep an eye on you at your most vulnerable moments.”

Eren huffed and crossed his arms, still bitter about every little memory that crossed his mind and made him blush even more. “You’re on thin ice,” he mumbled.

“Good, that’s how I like it. Ready to go see your new village?” Levi grabbed a black fur coat similar to his own from a hook on the wall and draped it over Eren. He used a thin, white rope to tie it up his torso and down his arms to keep it snug on Eren’s torso and took his hand, leading him out of the cabin.

Levi’s cabin seemed to be a part of a huge circle of homes that surrounded a huge fire pit. Around the fire were tons of benches, tables, and chairs made of a dark wood. Eren spotted a few people eating at them and the moment he and Levi drew near, all eyes were on him. A few wolves were sitting near the table too, turning to stare at him with curiosity. They sniffed at the air and let out a few little yips.

“We’ve got a fire burning here at all times for cooking and light,” he explained. “I’ve got our breakfast roasting right now, it should be done soon. All the cabins around here are our homes, that big one built into the mountain is sort of the main house where the elders and orphans stay. We hold meetings there and have parties too. Werewolves are pretty social and you can’t go two steps without someone chattering at you.”

Eren looked around at the village covered in snow cautiously. The looks he got made him nervous. In Shiganshina, people gave him dirty looks all the time, but he didn’t mind or care what they thought of him. Here, he actually cared what the werewolves thought of him. They were Levi’s friends and Eren found himself desperately wanting them to like him. It was a new feeling, one he’d never felt before and just another thing Levi was introducing him to. He sidled closer to Levi until their arms were pressed together in his insecurities, gripping onto the hand that held his with a tighter grasp. The sensation of walking side-by-side was so familiar to him and reminded him of their daily treks through the old village, running alongside each other as dog and human instead. It was comforting in its own way, yet a little embarrassing whenever Eren looked over to see a gorgeous man at his side rather than his dog.

They walked up to the huge bonfire and Levi sat Eren down at one of the tables before heading off to go retrieve their food. Within seconds of him leaving, the redheaded girl from the previous day slid into the seat next to him and practically yelled, “So, you’re Eren!”

“Oh, uh, yeah,” he gave the girl an up-down. She wore a similar fashion with boots, pants, and a very fluffy fur coat tied up with string to fit her form. The fur was lighter than the dark shade Eren wore and even matched her red hair. A certain smell was coming from her that Eren was surprised to have sensed. It wasn’t a clean smell like soap or perfume, but rather something that lurked in her skin and called for his attention. He scrunched up his nose to attempt to figure out what he was sniffing for, unable to pinpoint it.

“I can see you scenting me. After being away from your own kind for so long, I’m sure it’ll take a while to get used to. We’ve never really officially met, I’m Isabel. Farlan and I are Levi’s best friends. Farlan’s my mate, I think he’s still snoozing at home. He’s definitely not a morning person.”

“Nice to meet you,” Eren stammered out. “Scenting?” he had to wonder aloud.

“It’s customary for werewolves to scent each other when they first meet. Sniffing them over to figure out some basic things about them. It’s like a greeting. To me, you smell like Levi so I know that you’re Levi’s mate. I also know that you two finally consummated your bond last night.” She wiggled her eyebrows and smiled brightly while Eren found himself embarrassed once again. “We’ve been waiting for years for him to return with you. I’m so happy you’re finally back! How did the mating go? Do you think you’ll be having pups soon?”

“Pups?” Eren was even more confused at that. Was she asking if he was pregnant? Didn’t she know that wasn’t possible? He then remembered the book he’d read when he first arrived in the village and a brand-new worry came upon him. There was no way he could have any sort of children, or as they seemed to call them, pups.

Before she could say anything more, Levi returned with a huge platter of cut and cooked geese. They smelled amazing and Eren’s mouth was already watering. He eyed the food with a passion that caused Levi to chuckle. “Dig in,” he urged and Eren was tearing into the meat like a starving wolf.

“He’s just as gorgeous as you described,” Isabel nudged Levi with her elbow. “Though he looks starved. You better fatten him up some.” Eren pretended not to hear, not sure how to take compliments as he rarely got them.

“Where’s Farlan?”

“Sleeping. He’s been tired a lot lately. I’m starting worry,” she poked at the wood table with lowered eyes and frowned. “We haven’t had any luck getting pups. Farlan is pretty upset about it. I know it takes a lot of tries and we’ve tried _a lot_ , but I can’t seem to give him what he wants. He’d look so cute all knocked up and it just hasn’t been working out for us.”

“It isn’t quite mating season yet,” Levi said, reminding her of the fact. “Your chances will be higher then. It’s a waste to try now, it’s basically impossible.”

“You know I _hate_ waiting.”

“One of the many things that hasn’t changed about you,” Levi smiled fondly and watched as Eren continued to eat, not eating himself quite yet. “Are they still scouting the mountains?”

She nodded, “Yep, I heard them sayin’ that they were excited to get you back so you could lead a squad again. Scouting and hunting are your specialties, after all. That is, unless you got too old and weak for it.” Her teasing near the end attempted to spur Levi on.

He didn’t take the bait and didn’t even acknowledge she was poking fun at his age. “How have the other packs been behaving?”

“Peacefully,” Isabel grinned before her smile dropped and she bit her lip. “Well, except for one. The Western pack have been spotted invading our territory numerous times. We’ve fought them off well enough, but the elders believe we need to approach them about it. If it’s a fight they want, it’s a fight they’ll get!”

Eren was finally slowing down with his meal while Isabel started talking about things that went flying over Eren’s head. They talked about a certain pack of werewolves that were constantly trying to take over other packs with violence and threats. Eren decided this Western pack was no good, acting like a bunch of bullies in order to gain more territory and more members, especially Omegas. Apparently, territory was something precious the werewolf packs. It made sense, the more land they could roam, the more hunting they could do and the more food they’d be able to bring back home.

Once Eren finished his last few bites, Levi started eating what was left. It got him busy enough that it ended his and Isabel’s conversation, so she turned her attention back to Eren. “Are you excited about your new home here? There’s tons to do! There are hot springs not too far from here and tons of space to run around. Once the season changes and the snow and ice melts a little, there’s a river we all like to go swimming in. Everyone who lives here is _really_ nice, too, so you don’t have to worry too much. I know they’ll all adore you.” She spoke with such a pride that it made Eren’s heart swell. Isabel and Levi both seemed proud of their home, they seemed to really want him to like it too. “I’m sure Levi will probably keep you _occupied_ for the next few days, though. I’m practically choking on his pheromones over here. Someone is excited to have finally brought home and bred his mate.”

She spoke so casually about sex it made Eren want to hide under the table. He couldn’t get used to the words _mated_ and _bred_ being thrown around so nonchalantly. Though, when she mentioned Levi’s _pheromones_ , Eren wondered if she meant the scent he was giving off. In Eren’s opinion, it was comforting and reminded him of home as well as the night they spent together. It reminded him that once wasn’t enough and that, eventually, he’d want more. When he recognized the need, however, it only became stronger.

Levi finished eating in record time and threw the remnants of their meal into the fire. He stashed the plate in a shed not too far away and returned, extending his hand to Eren. “I think we should go back home for a bit.”

“See? I told you. He’s an eager beaver ready for some more loving,” Isabel giggled. “But you’ll have to wait,” she stood next to Levi and put her hands on her hips. “You’ve got to go show Eren to the elders first. They’ve been waiting to confirm his status as a wolf and your mating as well. I think they’re all excited to meet your mate, curious even! That lot of old prunes were quite nosy, asking me a bunch of questions about him this morning.”

“What did you say?”

“That he was definitely something worth following around for fifteen years. I bet they’ll also be amused at just how much you’ve _grown_ ,” she said sarcastically, poking fun at Levi’s height. “Especially your mom.”

Eren perked up at that. “Your mom?” He never considered Levi’s family before and suddenly became very interested in finding out more. His dirtier needs faded quickly as he was much more interested in learning more about Levi than he was jumping his bones again. In fact, Eren wasn’t sure he’d be doing any bone-jumping at all in the near future- at least until he could get over the embarrassment from the first time. “I get to meet your mom?”

Levi scrubbed at the back of his neck, “Yeah, I suppose you do. Only if you want to, though. I don’t want to push you. I know this has been a really… shocking change for you. Farlan warned me to take things slow.”

“I’d like to meet her.” Eren was certain of it. He’d never been the type to flinch at a new challenge in life, or a newfound home either. The excitement in his gut beat out any reservations or fear he could have ever felt about the magical change in his life. Was it weird? Yes. But, his gut felt right about it and that dominated any logical hesitations.

Levi took Eren’s hand and genuinely smiled, “Okay, let’s get going, then. She doesn’t like to wait too long.”

“She’s been waitin’ for fifteen years, I don’t blame her,” Isabel laughed. With that, she morphed into a light-colored wolf, fur white and red with bright and shining eyes that matched the human version of Isabel. She gave a few happy yips before racing off toward one of the many cabins in the area.

“How do you do that so instantly?” Eren had to wonder. He only changed forms in his sleep or when he was stressed out, apparently.

“You get used to it. It takes a bit for pups to figure it out.” Levi put an arm around Eren’s waist to lead him out of his seat and down the trampled path toward the biggest cabin in the village. It was crafted from beautifully stained logs like all the others with tons of windows and huge double doors that led inside. It was built into the mountain behind it, making it larger than it looked from the outside.

Levi let himself right in, pushing those heavy doors open and stepping inside. A blast of heat hit Eren first, followed by the delicious scent of something sweet. It reminded him of the bakery back in his village and how he always tended to walk past it just to get a whiff of the freshly baked bread that he’d never be able to eat. The interior was rather homey, leading straight into a huge sitting room with a large fireplace and plenty of plush seating. There were tons of portraits hung on the wall of tons of different people along with bookshelves that were filled to the max. Some werewolf puppies were curled up in a pile by the fire, snoozing away. Two others were play-fighting with one another, growling and barking while taking little swipes at each other with their little paws. For puppies, they looked like the size of the full-grown Corgis that the mail carrier kept. He was always kind enough to let Eren pet them, which always made Levi growl.

Levi led Eren down a short hallway to a sitting room filled with tons of plush pillows that a number of people and wolves were occupying. There were tapestries hung on the wall with some kind of crest sewn into them and images of wolves running in the moonlight and under the stars. A lot of the wolves even had a pair of wings on their back as they sprang across the fabric and started to fly. A wall of windows let in the sunlight but strings of unlit lanterns hung across the ceiling were prepared for the night after the sunlight died out.

Eren knew her the instant he set eyes on the beautiful woman humming by the fire. Her long, black hair was unmistakable and her eyes left no questions. It was Levi’s mother, sitting happily on a puffy cushion by the fire. Eren wondered why anyone would ever consider her an ‘elder’ as she looked so young and spritely. The moment her eyes met Levi’s, she sprang up from her cushion with a burst of energy and opened her arms wide to hug her son. To Eren’s surprise she didn’t just hug Levi but she included him as well, wrapping them all up in a group hug. The proximity gave Eren a whiff of her scent, one that reminded him of a much sweeter version of Levi’s. It was pleasant and allowed him to sink into the embrace a little, discomfort of the suddenness melting away with every second.

When she let go, she put to hands on Eren’s cheeks and smiled warmly. “Eren, I’ve heard so much about you from the letters Levi has sent me. You’re just as lovely as he described.”

“Thank you, ma’am,” Eren looked anywhere but at her and barely got his words of gratitude out. It seemed it would take him a while to learn how to accept a compliment.

“Don’t ma’am me, silly,” she shook her head. “I’m just as much your mother as I am Levi’s. Tell me, did he get you fed? You’re looking thin, Eren. You can stay right here with me while Levi goes and fetches you something decent to eat.”

“Actually, we just ate,” Eren was quick to say. “And it was delicious. For once, I’m so full, I couldn’t eat another bite.”

She was smiling again and sighed, “That’s good. I was hoping I didn’t raise a barbarian. It looks like he was able to take good care of you while you were away from home.”

There was the word again, _home._ It was as if his first twenty years of life was a mere vacation in hell and after a leap of faith, he was allowed back into heaven again. He’d never considered Shiganshina his home- it was a place only bringing pain and suffering. Levi’s village, however, had the potential to steal his heart away.

 “He made it difficult, that’s for certain,” Levi mumbled.

“Excuse me, I really didn’t think my _dog_ was an actual _person,_ ” Eren mumbled sassily right back.

“Will you stop calling me a dog?”

“Never.”

“Look at you two, getting along so swimmingly,” Kuchel snorted. “Already having a bit of a lover’s spat, it’s clear you’re meant to be. I’m glad you’ve got someone who can keep up with you, Rivaille.”

Levi straightened and stiffened immediately at the word _Rivaille._ Eren hadn’t a clue what it meant. Was it an insult? A nickname? Kuchel must have let it slip because she quickly covered her mouth with her hand. “Excuse me, Levi,” she blushed and laughed nervously. Eager to move on to the next topic, she escorted them to meet the other elders of Levi’s pack.

Hannes was a fit, blond gentleman, though he looked wise enough to be called an elder. He drank lazily from a glass of bourbon and smiled oddly at Eren when they were introduced. Unlike the other werewolves who wore furs, he wore a white button-down shirt and some brown slacks. It was simple and made him much more approachable in Eren’s opinion. His nose twitched a little and Eren guessed he was _scenting_ , as Isabel had described it to him. “Ah, Eren, I can tell already you will make a fine mate. You both have a fire in your heart that will cooperate beautifully together.” As he talked, his alcohol-infused breath hit Eren right in the face. He was careful not to squint or wrinkle his nose at it and instead uttered his thanks. Kuchel explained he was in charge of defending the pack’s territory and often mapped out creative tactics that seemed to always work in their favor.

Next, was Keith Shadis who, unlike Hannes, looked incredibly intimidating with a fierce stare and a tight frown. The sunlight reflected off his bald head and he scratched at his facial hair. “You’re Carla’s kid,” he said out of the blue.

It caught Eren’s attention and he practically yelled, “You knew my mom?!”

For some reason, it made Keith smile which was something that shocked Eren. He doubted such a scary face could smile, but was proven wrong. “Ay, I knew her quite well. I helped her connect with Grisha while she was deciding who should take care of you when we saw no signs of your wolfish heritage. It’s a damn shame he passed.”

“It is…” Eren had to agree, though felt no sadness. Grisha hadn’t been a large part of his life and mostly just gave him a warm place to rest at night as well as enough food to fill his belly. Eren was grateful, though, and the townsfolk weren’t lying when they said he was a good doctor.

“It’s a shame about your mother too, she was a wonderful lady,” he sighed. “The snow can take even the warmest of hearts.”

Eren’s fantasies about his mother were slowly coming true. The beautiful, kind, gentle woman in his mind slowly started to take form. His heart jumped when Keith mentioned that he looked just like her.

Kuchel gave him a brief explanation that Keith was in charge of their scouting patterns. Apparently, they couldn’t over-hunt certain areas of the forest and needed to pay attention to the populations of their game. Keith was to make sure he knew where the groups went, how long they’d be gone, and how much food they needed to bring back.

Lastly was a burly man with white hair and a white beard to match. He looked pensively at Eren for just a moment and slowly nodded. “I believe you make a good match for Kuchel’s son and that your bond is strong. With time, it’ll only strengthen. I trust you’ll take care of him just as much as he takes care of you.”

“Thank… you…?” Eren squeaked out, completely intimidated to the point where he took a step back, making sure Levi was somewhat in front of him.

“I don’t believe you’re aware of the gravity of your position, but I know you will in time.” It was the last thing he said before getting out of his seat and leaving the room all together. Eren wasn’t sure what to make of their conversation and didn’t understand it either.

“Darius Zackly, he keeps Hannes, Keith, and Nile in line for me. Oh, right, you haven’t met Nile yet. He’s out on an expedition, but you’ll meet him eventually I’m sure. Don’t mind Darius’s sternness, he’s always a little timid around new pack members,” Kuchel steered the pair toward the front door again. “I’ll let you head back home for a while. It’s best that you bond with one another instead of running around here. I’m sure this is a lot to take in for you, Eren. I was a bit excited to meet you and I do hope you come visit soon, after things have calmed down a bit.”

“Sure, thank you,” Eren found himself saying yet again. He felt like all he’d done was thank her for her hospitality and kindness. It was an odd motherly love he’d never experienced before and wasn’t sure how to handle it.

Levi gave her one last hug before taking Eren’s hand again and pulled him back toward the cabin. Eren looked down at their intertwined fingers and still couldn’t get over the heat of Levi’s hand in his. He wondered how something so simple could make his heart beat so fast. Especially after what they’d done the previous night, why did simply holding hands make his heart race?

The moment they got back inside, Eren shed his fur coat after messing with the string for a few minutes that tied it all together. He hung it up on one of the hooks by the door and took a seat on the bed while Levi tended to the fireplace.

“So… what did that guy… Darius… mean about the gravity of my position?” Eren had to ask. The dialogue was vague and demanded an explanation. “Am I supposed to do something?”

Levi got the fire roaring again and finally joined Eren on the bed, keeping a meter of space between them. “I figure you’ll probably learn this sooner or later, but my mother is the leader of our pack. She’s the top Alpha and has been for years. No one ever feels the need to challenge her either, because everything has been running so smoothly with her in charge. As her only pup, that means that eventually I’ll take her place unless someone challenges me for the position. So, eventually, you’ll be the pack leader as well.”

It honestly didn’t mean much to Eren. He had no idea how pack dynamics worked or what sort of job description ‘pack leader’ had attached to it. “Oh, well, uh, okay,” he shrugged. “I like your mom, by the way. I’m not surprised that she’s a good leader.”

“It’s a relief to know she didn’t scare you off. She can be… forward…” Levi tried to choose the right word, obviously picking carefully as to not offend her.

“Can I ask you something else?”

“You can ask me anything.”

“She called you something… and then apologized for it. What was that all about?” Eren had to know. Were there any special werewolf curse words he needed to add to his vocabulary? Was it some kind of sore-spot for Levi?

“Rivaille,” he repeated. “It’s my name.”

Eren paused, silent for a moment. The realization came upon him like a smack in the face. He’d named Levi himself when they’d first met. After figuring out that Levi wasn’t just a dog, he never thought twice about calling him by the name he always used. “I’m… I’m sorry!” he spoke, still flabbergasted at the simple, overlooked fact.

“ _No_ ,” Levi was quick to respond. He closed the gap between them and grabbed onto Eren to pull him into a tight embrace. The dark fur of Levi’s coat tickled Eren’s nose, but he was a little too distracted by the man hugging onto him to care.

“I didn’t even think that you had a name before you met me,” Eren admitted. “I should have asked.”

“Eren, no. I will forever go by the name you’ve given me. It’s the first thing you ever gave me, and it’s precious to me. I’ve told the entire village that is what I wish to be called, and there is no way in hell I’m going around and taking to each and every one of them again to take it back.”

“But it’s not your name,” Eren shook his head and laughed. “It’s something silly I made up as a kid because I couldn’t think of anything better.”

Levi pulled Eren back by the shoulders so they could look at one another eye-to-eye. It made Eren realize that this was important to him. “Eren, as your mate I’ve always belonged to you whether you knew it or not. The name you’ve given me is the one I choose to live with. It’s the name you know me by and the one I’ll be taking to my grave.”

Compliments were one thing Eren couldn’t handle, but the deepness and sincerity of Levi’s words had him speechless. He never considered himself a romantic, but it was hard not to swoon a little. With nothing useful to say, Eren decided he’d use his actions to speak for him instead. He fell back into Levi’s arms and held onto him tightly. With his fur coat, it was almost like he was hugging onto his dog again.

“You better be happy I didn’t name you Sparky or Mittens or something stupid like that,” he murmured into Levi’s shoulder.

“I’m most grateful, pup,” he whispered back. “You’ve had a busy day and have taken everything so well. I’m starting to worry.”

“You’re worried?” It was Eren’s turn to pull back so he could see Levi’s face.

“There’s a lot less screaming in fear than I’d always imagined. I even ventured that you’d try to run away from me or maybe even try to knock me out.”

 _Your pretty face makes it pretty fucking hard to run away,_ Eren thought to himself. _And way too gorgeous to ruin with a black eye._ Besides, where did he have to run to anyway? Levi was all he had and all he ever wanted or needed. He tried to think of a better excuse for his lack of panic and shrugged, “You haven’t given me a reason not to trust you. Everyone here has been nice. And, I’m not stupid enough to race out into the cold by myself. I’d freeze to death and I think I prefer it here where it’s warm.” He rambled toward the end, trying to think of any better answer than the fact he was irrationally devoted to a man he’d never met. Well, ‘never met’ was an exaggeration. Levi was, in fact, very much the same with his sass, temper, and the way he always seemed to have to be touching Eren in one way or another. He guided Eren around the same way as he always did and mothered over him too.

“I’m glad,” Levi finally said. “I hope you find to love it here… with me…”

“At this rate, it’d be hard not to,” Eren brightly smiled and couldn’t stop fantasizing about everything new around him. What did the village look like in the warmer months? What did they do for fun? What would it be like to hunt? When would he get a handle on his own wolfish form? All the new exhilaration and the revival of his life was due to Levi. It was all overwhelming, but only in the good sort of ways.

Eren latched onto Levi again for another hug, needing the proximity and the opportunity to whisper in his ear, “Thank you.”

His closeness to Levi was the best thing he’d felt throughout the entire day and it was only just past noon. He wanted to get even closer but wasn’t sure how. The thoughts from their night together still taunted him as his denial to acknowledge it grew weaker with every new touch from Levi. “So, last night…” Eren gave into the temptation to start the conversation. He knew there were some things that couldn’t go unsaid. “I didn’t know what came over me. It happened really fast and my body just sort of moved on its own… And this…” He gestured toward his neck, unsure of what to make of the new scar.

“My mark,” Levi clarified. “It means you belong to me.”

Eren’s heart jumped in his chest at the words. “R-Really?”

Levi nodded, “Like I said, Eren, you’re my mate. I don’t plan on letting anyone else steal you away. And, once you mark me, we’ll be connected in a new way reserved only for mates.”

“You mean, I need to bite your neck too?”

“Only when you’re ready. You’ve won my heart, and can keep it forever. Now I need to win yours.”

 _You already have,_ Eren’s frivolous heart wanted to yell. Instead, he just smiled and nodded. The next question was a hard one to get out, but he could bury his face in Levi’s shoulder as he said it so he didn’t have to look the werewolf in the eye. “When will we, um, do that again?”

He couldn’t deny it was the most pleasurable experience he’d ever had before and that he yearned for that closeness and sensation again. It seemed every cell in his body was calling out for Levi’s to collide with them. His entire lower half tingled with anticipation. It was all so fucking embarrassing but addicting at the same time.

Levi chuckled, ran a hand through Eren’s hair, and brushed his lips across Eren’s temple. “Your wish is my command, pup. Say the word and I’ll be there for you. Just don’t push yourself, okay?”

“And… Isabel said something about… pups?” Eren squeaked with bashfulness.

“You _are_ an Omega,” Levi’s fingers kept playing with Eren’s tresses. “Which means it’s possible, especially during mating season.”

“You mean, I could be _pregnant_ right _now_?” Eren’s voice went up a few octaves in shock, reeling back from Levi in the new revelation. “ _That’s_ why your… _thing_ got bigger?”

“Where’d my naughty little pup who knew how to say the dirty words go?” Levi teased lowly before regaining a more serious tone. “But yes, that’s the purpose of a knot. And if you were, I’d know by now. Your scent would be different. It’s _extremely_ difficult to successfully breed out of mating season. Your body knows it’s not the optimum time to raise your young yet and basically puts your uterus on standby.”

Eren couldn’t believe he heard the words ‘your’ and ‘uterus’ put together like that. It was as if he’d had a second head for his entire life and he just became aware of it. He wasn’t upset in the least, just surprised. “Oh,” was all he could say.

Levi gave him a quick peck on the forehead and rubbed a thumb over his cheek. “Don’t worry about it for now. You call the shots here. I’m happy as long as you’re honest with me. Can you promise you will be?”

“Sure,” Eren nodded. He never had an issue with honesty and considered himself rather blunt. Especially with someone like Levi, it’d be easy to tell him the truth. “I promise.”

“Good. That’s all I could ever want,” he pat Eren on the head and smiled warmly. “So, what would you like to do now? Hungry at all?”

“A bit,” Eren replied, feeling the weight on his heart lifted.

Levi left the bed and Eren’s eyes followed the werewolf as he moved to the bookshelf. On the lowest shelf were a few drawers which he fumbled through until he pulled out a paper sack. When he returned to Eren, he opened the bag and started pulling out dried fruits such as apple slices, bananas, and some fruits that Eren hadn’t ever seen before.

“Where did you _get_ these?” Eren marveled, looking at them like they were pieces of chocolate.

“We keep close ties with packs from other lands. Every few years, we travel to visit them or they come here. They always bring confections from their home. I’ve saved these for the right moment and I think now is the time.” Levi took an apple crisp from the sack and placed it between Eren’s lips. The flavor hit him immediately, the crisp apple flavor mixing with spices as it melted against his tongue.

“ _Levi,_ ” Eren moaned out his name, relishing in the flavor. His tone was almost sexual in nature, but he didn’t care. He hadn’t been spoiled with such delectable flavors in so long. Food was definitely the way to his heart as he swallowed and opened his mouth as a silent plea for more. Levi indulged him, letting him try every little piece of dried fruit to let Eren decide on his favorites.

It was a peaceful afternoon, one of the most relaxing Eren had experienced in much too long. He rested his head in Levi’s lap and ate to his heart’s content while Levi hummed a little tune. The lullaby put him to sleep like some kind of magical spell. When he awoke a while later, he gasped and flew up out of Levi’s lap for fear it was all a dream. Luckily, he saw those beautiful grey eyes staring down at him and he could take a sigh of relief. Things were finally getting better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Currently eating my own words after saying for so long that I wasn't going to make this one into a multi-chapter story. Whoops! I simply couldn't resist. (◠ω◠✿)
> 
> If you have any questions, concerns, requests, suggestions or just want to chit-chat, you can find me on tumblr: [snakemittenswrites](https://snakemittenswrites.tumblr.com/)
> 
> Here’s a link to my personal blog as well!: [snakemittens](https://snakemittens.tumblr.com/)


	3. Chapter 3

The sunrays smiled down across the tundra, making the snow surrounding the village glimmer and sparkle with glee. Eren’s heart was bounding in his chest as he stretched his neck up from the picnic table to view the sled dogs in the distance, running right past the village and into the forests ahead. “Do they ever stop by?” he asked Isabel, who was sitting across from him munching on her lunch.

“Stop by? Sometimes. They’re from one of our sister packs and live in a village similar to ours,” she answered, pointing toward them with her mutton. “The musher too. They’re all werewolves. You didn’t know?”

“No…” Eren’s eyebrows furrowed together, putting the pieces together. It started to make sense that Team Erwin always won every race without even trying. He’d marveled at them for years, tracking their races and peeking through the crowd to see them running toward the finish line.

“Erwin and Levi used to be inseparable growing up. I’m sure if Levi weren’t so enamored with you, he would have move to our sister pack and  joined the team with Erwin,” Isabel spoke absentmindedly as most of her attention rested with the meat she was chomping on. “They keep an eye on the town, run supplies back and forth, and communicate with other packs around the area. Our ancestors invented the dogsled, you know.”

Eren didn’t have time to continue the enlightening conversation as a familiar black wolf came trotting up to him with a dead goose in his mouth. By the look in Levi’s eyes, he was quite proud of his kill and dropped it at Eren’s feet. After licking at his muzzle a few times, he nudged at the bird with his nose a few times like he used to always do when presenting Eren with food. Out of habit, Eren reached down and scratched behind Levi’s ears and murmured, “Good boy.”

The two words must have seemed patronizing to Levi as he let out a little, annoyed growl. Eren used to call him a good boy all the time and Levi always seemed peeved by the phrase, but never growled like that. Apparently, with Eren’s new knowledge of Levi’s true form came new rules too.

“Let me guess,” Isabel set down her lunch in favor of looking down at Levi. “ _You’re_ supposed to be the one calling Eren a good boy, not the other way around. Right?”

Levi let out a huff and took the goose back between his jaws to haul it closer toward the bonfire, leaving a giggling Isabel and blushing Eren behind.

“So, you guys have dogsleds here?” Eren asked, hoping to get back to their previous conversation.

“Our pack doesn’t, we haven’t had a need for a new team since Erwin formed theirs,” Isabel shrugged. “It’d be fun to do that kind of thing here, though. I’ve always wanted to give it a go. I bet it’d be useful, too.”

“My mom used to be a musher. I bet she led a group of werewolves too,” he let her know with a proud smile on his face. “They said she was the fastest, the best. I wish I could have seen her.”

“Perhaps you’ll have to live out her legacy,” Isabel stood and rustled Eren’s hair a bit before taking her plate to the clean-up shed near the bonfire. Eren had peeked inside earlier to find a sink and a cabinet full of plates and silverware inside. Aside from the main house, it seemed to be where most of the pack members obtained their dinnerware.

Eren tucked Isabel’s comment away in the back of his mind for later, finding a new focus on Levi. In the few moments that he’d taken his eyes off of the wolf, he’d transformed into a human and was cooking away like a housewife. Eren watched in awe as Levi went through the steps of plucking out feathers, cutting the bird apart, and choosing the pieces he wanted to roast over the fire. For the past few days, Levi had taken to feeding Eren a high-protein diet with lots of poultry and fish. Occasionally, he’d offer up some dried fruits or vegetables, but he insisted on Eren’s meat-filled diet. Not only was the food more plentiful, but Levi urged him to eat more often as well. Eren wasn’t going to complain one bit as his stomach finally felt full for once in his life. Everything Levi fed him was delicious and even a bit endearing as Levi always looked so happy whenever he watched Eren eat something he’d brought and cooked himself.

They sat across from each other at the picnic table when Levi presented him with a new plateful of goose. This time, he’d flavored it with some special spices from the supply shed and Eren’s mouth started to water at the mere aroma. He recognized a few spices like garlic and pepper, but there were exotic flavors waiting to be tasted.

“Go ahead,” Levi pushed the plate a little closer to Eren, always waiting for him to eat his fill first before Levi dared to eat himself. The first few times, Eren asked for Levi to eat too but he was told an Alpha always made sure his Omega was fed before eating. Eren figured it must have been a social norm, because he watched as other couples did the same thing. One person would wait until the other finished eating, and then helped themselves to anything that was left. He even watched as Alphas, male and female, waited patiently while their mate and pups ate. Sometimes, there would be nothing left and the Alpha would simply change forms and run off to hunt again.

Eren ate until he was completely satisfied and pushed the plate back toward Levi, still looking off into the distance where he watched the sled dogs running. For his entire life, he’d dreamt of taking the place behind the sled and leading a team to fame. For once, townsfolk wouldn’t accuse him of being some kind of street rat and would cheer for him instead. For once, he wouldn’t be the loser of the bunch. Perhaps he could even live up to his mother’s name and prove to the world that she really was the best and passed her gift onto him.

“I didn’t realize Team Erwin was really just a team of werewolves,” he mentioned to Levi, idly wondering what the group looked like in their human forms.

“They are,” Levi shortly responded, picking off the meat Eren had missed from the bones. Something in his voice made Eren wonder if he was irritated with the topic, but Eren disregarded that sour tone. He was slowly learning how to read Levi’s scent and didn’t sense any distaste in it yet.

“Isabel said Erwin is a close friend of yours,” Eren kept pushing for more conversation on the topic. Not only was he interested in the sledding aspect of it, but also the fact that he got to learn a little bit more about Levi. Every little fact fascinated him, especially when it came to Levi’s relationships with anyone other than himself.

“He is,” Levi confirmed. “Don’t get me started on him, though. I can’t tell you how many times he’s gloated over how captivated you are with him.”

“Wait,” Eren’s attention was pulled away from the horizon and focused on Levi. “Captivated?”

“You ogle at him every time he runs into town with the rest of the team and won’t shut up about how great they are.” The annoyance in Levi’s voice was clear, though he didn’t seem upset. The fact seemed more like a pet peeve of Levi’s than anything else.

Even so, Eren’s face grew red with embarrassment. He crossed his arms in self-defense and muttered, “I wasn’t _ogling_.”

“You can tell him that the next time he pays us a visit,” Levi stood from his seat and left to clean up their dishes. For a slight moment, Eren wondered if he upset him but the little glint in his eye on his way back proved otherwise. Levi hefted Eren up from his hips and hauled him over his shoulder like a sack of flour. “Come on, we’ve got some training to do.”

“Training?” Eren yelped, grasping at Levi’s shoulders and neck to steady himself even though he was certain Levi wouldn’t drop him.

“We’re going to help you figure out how to understand yourself,” Levi announced, carrying Eren across the village until stopping by a huge pine tree that sat out of the way. It was a quiet area with a few stone lanterns sitting about, letting off a warm glow against the snow. Eren wondered why the villagers kept them lit all the time, along with the other lanterns that sat around the village.

Levi set Eren down gently, letting his booted feet crunch against the fresh snow. The Alpha sat into the snow, letting out another squeaky crunch as he settled. With a crooked finger, he gestured for Eren to join him. The moment Eren got close enough, Levi grasped onto his hips and pulled him down so he could sit in Levi’s lap with his back resting against the Alpha wolf’s chest.

“You can change forms in your sleep and when you’re nervous,” Levi breathed, collecting the information at hand. “So, now we need to teach you how to control it. Remember what I said the first time this happened? You’ve got to take what you want, to feel it deeply. Close your eyes and think about the wolf inside.”

Eren adjusted himself for comfort’s sake and sighed, obeying Levi’s gentle command and closing his eyes. The wolf inside? Eren didn’t know one existed until recently. He’d spent a few days in Levi’s village, watching as people transformed in the blink of an eye from man to beast. He’d gotten an up-close look many times as Levi eased into one form to another. He knew the magic existed, he just needed to find it in himself.

“Do you see a beautiful red wolf?” Levi whispered into Eren’s ear, hot breath ghosting over the shell of his ear. The sensation made him shiver in Levi’s lap. “With bright eyes and a coat that resembles autumn?”

The shape of a wolf started to form in Eren’s mind. The canine was smaller than the other wolves he’d seen in the village, but with a coat of greys, browns, and even hints of red too. He stared into that wolf’s eyes, ones that were similar to his own with their green and blue hues. It only took him a second to realize those eyes _were_ his own and that wolf was just as much a part of him as his human body was too.

But how could he reach the beast inside? In his dreams, he could reach out and run alongside this wild creature. He created the imagery in his head, reaching out to this wolf to pet its course fur without the fear of being bitten.

The moment he made contact, Eren’s eyes flashed open as the world seemed to spin around him. As soon as it started, it ended and he was staring at Levi with wide eyes. When he glanced around him, he noticed everything seemed sharper, clearer. In a split second or two, he realized he’d become exactly what he wanted to be: a wolf.

Unlike the first time when he changed in a panic, he felt an odd comfort in the form. He shifted his paws in the snow underneath him and glanced over to Levi who was actually smiling.

“You did it,” Levi complimented, giving him a congratulatory pet to his head. The scratching felt similar to a much-needed back massage and he leaned into the touch, yearning for more. “Change back and forth a few times every day and you’ll get used to it. For now, stay like this and enjoy it. Stretch your legs if you need to.”

Eren nodded and yawned, stretching out his long jaws and getting used to the way his sharp fangs settled in his mouth. He moved on to his back, reaching out with his front paws and pushing the back ones out for the most satisfying stretch. The way his bones and muscles settled felt natural and easy.

With that, he tested out trotting across the snow in circles around Levi. It took a few tries and trips as he tried to figure out how to move his four legs in tandem. Every time he fell flat on his face, he earned a little laugh from Levi which made the fall worth it. Once he got going, though, he was able to reach a good speed and ventured into a run. He panted as he sprinted circles around the huge pine tree, grinning at Levi and sending out little yips every time he passed the Alpha.

When he passed by once more, however, Levi wasn’t there at all. Eren skidded to a halt, wondering where he went. He glanced around the tree and let out a tiny whimper, anxiety growing in his gut at his missing mate. As a human, Eren felt the internal pulls toward Levi and the jolts in his chest whenever they brushed hands or touched shoulders. As a wolf, however, all the instincts came out to play and weighed fully on his heart. He recognized just how much _emotion_ he had as logic fell away and he relied primarily on the feelings resting in his gut. The sudden disappearance of Levi was heart-wrenching and Eren started to whine even more with every passing second.

A few playful barks rang out from behind him. The moment Eren turned around, he saw a huge, black wolf barreling toward him with his tongue hanging out. Eren didn’t have the opportunity to jump out of the way as the wolf fell right into him, knocking him to the ground and rolling together until Eren looked up to see two grey eyes glimmering down at him. Levi had him pinned down with Eren belly-up under him. Two giant black paws rested on either side of Eren’s head.

As an apology for scaring him, Levi gave a few licks to the side of Eren’s face and stepped away to let Eren up again. One he righted himself again, Eren pounced onto Levi for revenge and knocked them both to the ground once more. If he ever thought he’d ever get the upper hand, however, he’d have been a fool. Levi was already rolling them over so he could land right back on top again, performing the action with such ease and speed that Eren didn’t even notice it until he was on his back staring up at the Alpha with wide eyes.

He shuffled out from under the black wolf and ran around the pine tree some more while Levi chased after him. Eren couldn’t out-strength Levi, but perhaps he could outrun him. It was worth a try, anyway, and he bounded a little further from the village with his eyes set on a grouping of trees down the hill. Levi gave him a few barks of warning, but Eren could hardly hear him with the wind in his ears and his sights set ahead. A few more barks followed, but Eren was still too focused on his little journey.

Levi obviously wanted him to stop for some reason, but Eren couldn’t see why. He had finally become one with his wolfish self, why not bask in it? After spending so much time unaware of this new side of himself, he needed to _race_ at speeds faster than human legs could ever take him. He wanted to _smell_ the world around him with his enhanced nose, taking in scents that he’d never noticed before. He wanted to _explore_ this new world that he was no longer afraid of. There were no townsfolk to insult him, bullies to beat him, or a world that didn’t want him alive anymore. He’d never be able to stop after tasting the slightest bit of this new freedom.

With all of his determination, he sped forth toward those trees. The earth raced under his paws, snow crunching and flying up behind him in a glittering dust. The little forest ahead of him looked so beautiful with snow-coated trees and little rabbits that ran around the trunks of the pines. He wondered if he could catch one and pondered over what else lived in the woods. Would there be more little creatures for him to chase and play with? Where was Levi? Wasn’t he going to play chase too? Eren hoped they’d romp around some more. Everything was full of wonder, excitement and energy until his untrained legs shook under him. That momentary shake caused him to fall once more and tumble down the hill, the world spinning around him until he landed on flat ground. Snow packed itself over his fur and stuck onto him, weighing him down. The pads of his paws started to hurt. He could already hear Levi’s chastising voice in his head, but a low growling covered the thought up. Eren shook the show off his face and body before looking up to a pair of glowing eyes.

A behemoth of a brown bear stood before him with bared teeth and a throaty growl. It glared down at him with unknown fury, upset that someone had dared come too close. Eren was already shrinking back when it pushed itself up onto its two hind paws and stood before him, letting out a threatening roar. Eren backed away until his paws slipped out from under him and left him in a vulnerable heap. He’d never seen a bear in person before, only heard of them and observed pictures that had been drawn by the townsfolk. Once, he saw a stuffed bear that looked rather harmless. This monster, however, was terrifying.

In a bout of pure, stupid bravery Eren let out a growl. Even with all the strength he could muster, the growl sounded soft and unsure. The bear seemed to sense it and returned with its own growl, one that thundered over his own and dominated the small space between them.

One mighty paw thrust down toward him, ready to swat and claw at his flank. Just before impact, a black bullet of fur flew across Eren’s vision and straight at the bear’s arm. Levi gripped the paw between his jaws and tore the bear away from Eren. He unlatched his fangs from the beast when it shook him off. Levi landed on his feet and sprang up once more to claw up the bear’s spine. He bit into the nape of its neck and ripped out a chunk of meaty flesh from the tender spot, causing the bear to shriek in pain.

The bear must have known it was a losing battle and it started to retreat. Eren expected Levi to let it go, but he was incredibly mistaken. Levi lunged again, throwing his entire weight at the bear and taking another bite out of its neck. Out of self-defense, the bear went to swipe at Levi to push him away. Levi was faster, though, and skidded to the ground right in front of it. As a last-ditch effort, the bear lifted itself onto its hind legs again to gain a height-advantage but it only left its neck and chest vulnerable to Levi’s claws and fangs. He leapt from his spot on the ground and snarled as he bit into the bear’s jugular, tearing its neck to shreds.

Blood coated the brown bear’s fur, spilling from its wounds and dripping down its body until the bear collapsed onto the snow. Scarlet splatters surrounded the beast as it took its final breath, all while Levi watched and growled. He didn’t take his eyes off of the monster until it was surely dead.

Eren found himself shaking, either from fear or anger (he wasn’t sure which). Everything in his wolfish body hurt, but it was hard to focus on the pain as he was still watching Levi huff. His shoulder blades lifted and fell in ragged, ferocious waves. A very potent scent rose from the scene, one that made Eren want to whine and run back home. The scent pinned him in his place as he waited for some kind of sign to move again.

His heart jumped when Levi let out a howl, breaking the eerie silence that surrounded them. The black wolf lifted his muzzle up to the sky and called out, alerting his pack mates of the victorious kill. The moment his call ended, Levi finally turned around to face Eren.

Eren’s ears drooped the moment Levi laid eyes on him. He bowed his head in submission and let out that pitiful whine that had built up in his throat. That smell was preventing him from basking in the awe of Levi’s violent skill. It swallowed up every cheer of victory he wanted to yell out for Levi and the starry eyes he had for the powerful wolf. His own scent clouded around him, one displaying only fear.

Was Levi disappointed with him?

The black wolf took slow and careful steps toward Eren before nudging him back toward the village. When Eren didn’t move at the gesture, Levi gently took hold of the back of Eren’s neck with his teeth to get a grip of the extra skin there. He pulled Eren forward enough to get him walking and let go in favor of leading the way. Eren followed him with his tail tucked between his legs and his ears still pressed flat against his skull.

The walk uphill seemed a lot longer than his journey downward, or at least that was what it felt like. With every new step, came a little more distance between the two wolves as Eren tried to keep himself farther behind. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to be close to Levi like his body was screaming out for him to be, he was terrified of losing Levi for good. The possibility of Levi leaving him kept pushing itself to the forefront of his mind. When they reached the halfway point, Eren’s feet grew weak. After he collapsed for the second time, he let out a pinched yelp. His ankles felt brittle and his paws stung. He closed his eyes and tried to catch his breath when two arms came down around him and hefted him up. Levi lifted him up and started carrying him up the hill. Eren’s paws draped over Levi’s shoulder and he looked back toward the forest, forced to gaze at where he’d made the idiotic mistake. He shut his eyes as hard as he could. How was he supposed to know there would be a bear waiting for him in that little forest, anyway?

Eren sulked with his eyes squeezed shut, all the way back to Levi’s cabin. With a little tricky maneuvering, Levi got them inside and set Eren down on the bed. Eren was still trying to read his scent, only coming up with uncertainty and leftover aggression. It rose question after question in Eren’s head.

Was Levi angry? Would he kick Eren out of the village? Why was he stupid enough run off like that, even after Levi warned him to stay still? The anxieties festered deep within his soul and started to tear him apart from the inside out.

A new scent clouded up in their cabin, one that seemed to have a voice. It silently demanded for him to change back into his human form, coaxing him from one form to the other. Eren didn’t have much of a choice in the matter as he felt his body shift around his muddled mind. Just like that, he was a person again. He leaned back against the pillows and pushed himself back even further until his back hit the wall that the bed was pressed up against.

Levi turned his head in a funny way so that his throat was exposed to Eren. He wasn’t sure where Levi was trying to look or what he was trying to do, but he stayed like that for a few moments before glancing back at Eren and then finally shifting his own form back into a human. As a wolf, his facial expressions didn’t matter as much and his emotions were mostly exposed by scent alone. But as a human, Eren had to look at Levi’s scowl. There was no delight or comfort on Levi’s face and his dissatisfied scent still hung heavily in the air. It still caught Eren around the throat and prevented him from speaking, leaving him to wait for Levi’s eventual scolding.

The harsh words Eren had expected didn’t slap him in the face, though. He cocked his head to the side when Levi slowly approached the bed with his hands slightly raised and neck still exposed. Once Levi sat himself at the edge of the bed, leaving a healthy distance between himself and Eren, he spoke. “You don’t resent me now, do you?”

“Resent you?” Eren finally choked out.

“Your scent is… you’re terrified. I must have frightened you when I attacked that bear.”

Eren squinted as he finally realized what was going on through Levi’s head. Levi had thought Eren was afraid of him, had seen the violent beast at work and feared for his own life. The Alpha didn’t realize Eren wasn’t afraid of him, but rather the mere possibility he had disappointed his own mate. “I’m not afraid of you,” Eren pulled out of his corner to crawl toward Levi.

It all started to make sense, the slow and careful way Levi approached him. The Alpha exposed his neck and raised his hands as a show of surrender and trust. He gave Eren the upper hand to show him that he meant no harm.

“Your scent back there… it was pretty intense. I couldn’t move… or talk… Everything sort of hurt, like if I wasn’t close enough to you, I’d fall apart.” Eren tried to explain. “And on top of that, I thought you were pissed off at me for ignoring your warnings. I thought you’d throw me our or leave me or something… That’s what scared me the most.”

Levi closed his eyes and took a deep breath of relief. “I’d never leave you, Eren.”

Eren shuffled a little closer to Levi until he could sit at his mate’s side and look at him eye-to-eye. “Really?”

With a nod, Levi set a hand on Eren’s thigh and dug his fingers gently into the meat of them. Somehow, the clothes Levi had given him stayed on as he changed from form to form. He’d have to ask about that later, but Levi’s touch was distracting him from worrying about it too much. “Really. Though you were right. I am pissed.”

Eren’s shoulders pulled up to his ears as he hunched in shame. “Sorry.”

“You make it so fucking difficult to provide for you,” Levi ran his free hand through Eren’s hair, catching a few snags along the way. As the thick locks trapped Levi’s fingers in, he just pulled them out and gave Eren a few pats on the head. The little complaint warmed Eren’s heart as it was the first thing Levi had ever said to him in person. It was crass and not exactly romantic in the slightest, but the way Levi said it made it seem like lovesick poetry. The endearing lilt of his voice turned the phrase into Eren’s new favorite melody.

“I know,” Eren had to return with a little laugh once he was done swooning over ten simple words. “Sorry,” he apologized again, but this time with a smile on his face.

“Next time, stop when I tell you to stop,” Levi spoke a little more firmly, giving Eren the scolding he probably deserved. “I think I’ve got a good punishment in mind for you, though.”

“A punishment?” Eren had no idea what to expect from this so-called ‘punishment’. He’d seen children getting spanked as a punishment for disobeying their parents. He’d watched local thieves serve time in jail. Something in Levi’s eye told him it wasn’t anything he could ever expect, though, and Eren had to wonder just what his mate had in mind.

“Yes, but first let’s calm down a little. For one, you’re still not used to your second form yet so your body is probably exhausted. For two, after a stressful event it’s important to stay close otherwise you’ll start hurting again.”

Eren just nodded, excited to lay low while his heart slowed down to its normal pace. Levi started a quick fire in the hearth and sat down on the fur rug in front of it, curling a finger to beckon Eren closer. He didn’t waste a second in joining Levi by the fire, feeling its warmth radiating through his chilled skin into his thawing heart. His need for that close touch trumped his shyness and he curled himself up right next to Levi, snuggling up under his arm.

He wondered if it was his growing affection toward the Alpha or if his body truly needed the proximity. It felt like every cell in his body called out for his mate, demanding closeness. Levi mentioned he’d start hurting again if they didn’t stay close. Was this another Alpha and Omega thing? Or was it the blooming romance in his gut that pulled him closer like a magnet? The growing addiction to Levi’s presence wasn’t something he could ignore much longer. Whatever it was, it felt real and Eren needed to act on it.

Levi welcomed his presence and drew his arm lazily around Eren’s form to pull him a little closer. He didn’t seem bothered by Eren’s cuddlier nature and even welcomed it quietly, letting him snuggle up against his side without a word of objection.

“What are these?” Eren trailed his fingertips along the blue markings that were still etched into Levi’s skin. They looked like they were fading, though Eren couldn’t say he’d spent a lot of time gazing at them as he was a little too distracted by Levi’s eyes. The light blue markings curled around his arms and over his body like a serpent and even reached up to his face too.

“A spell, one that helped me stay in my wolf form while I was watching over you. I didn’t want to risk you finding out too soon, before I could confirm that you belonged here with us. The marks will fade eventually, unless I have a new spell put on me. Warriors receive these markings quite often as a form of defense or a boosted speed. I can’t recall a time I hadn’t worn these markings in one form or another.”

“They’re beautiful,” Eren murmured, tracing the ones around his arm with his finger. Beautiful wasn’t the first word that came to his mind, but it seemed like the most fitting. He thought they looked bad ass, the markings of a true warrior, but that’d break the mood.

“Mated pairs get matching ones occasionally. It’s an old tradition that most don’t follow anymore. Usually, it’s a small one around the neck or ankles that helps strengthen a bond. My mother had markings like that when my father was still around, she said it helped them communicate through their minds.”

“Seriously?” Eren was gaping at Levi. The mere possibility of telepathy was more than magical, it seemed unreal.

“Yeah, it effects everyone differently. Isabel and Farlan have them, too. He said it changed their sex life forever.” He spoke the last part with a little snort. “I don’t want to know how or why, but based on the howling coming from their cabin most nights, the markings surely did _something._ ”

It was Eren’s turn to snort and he had to wonder what other sorts of magic existed in the world. For so long, he never knew of any of it. The most magical thing he’d seen before meeting Levi was a street magician pulling a fake rabbit out of his hat. There was so much more in the world that he’d never known, it was almost overwhelming. If he weren’t so excited about seeing it all, he’d probably freak out. If it weren’t for Levi, he’d most likely be too afraid to venture any further. If it weren’t for Levi, he’d never been able to live so freely.

With that thought, he leaned his head on Levi’s shoulder and sighed. There was so much more to do and see, and he wanted to indulge in every bit of it at Levi’s side.

* * *

Levi sat on one of the tree stumps near the main house, watching over Eren and the orphaned pups. As punishment, Levi put Eren on babysitting duty which left the poor Omega at the merciless hands (and paws) of the pups. The little group was overjoyed with their new play-toy and pounced on him again and again. Eren, of course, couldn’t stop laughing and enjoying his time with the little tykes. He played all their little games with a huge, dopey smile on his face and kept them all giggling and yipping.

With the winter sun hanging above his head, Levi was able to feel a little warmth cut across the chilled afternoon. He tilted is face toward it, as if to catch it somehow. From somewhere in his childhood, he remembered a trickster of an elder telling him that wolves could eat through photosynthesis and he spent hours lying in the sun quietly whenever he got the least bit hungry. He always loved the way it felt on his fur and, in the bliss of the moment, he shifted forms so he could roll around in the snow. Thanks to Eren keeping the pups company, he was able to lazily watch over them.

The moment the pups realized he had changed forms, however, they ditched their new friend in favor of pouncing all over Levi instead. Three little ones came barking up to him and jumping onto him from the front. Four others were a little smarter and jumped at him from his sides. The two most daring crept up behind him, landing a few little bites to his tail and hind legs. With a few careful trudges and shaking legs, he was able to get them off of him. The little brats kept yipping and circling him, though, all trying to get a good playful fight in. A few more docile wolves left the grumbling Alpha wolf in favor of pawing all over Eren again. The rest continued to push and shove and topple over each other as well as Levi.

Like he always had, Levi put up a fake fight for them. He let out tiny yelps whenever one was able to land a bite on his legs. The moment one of them jumped from a nearby boulder and landed on top of him, Levi fell to the ground with a little huff and whined, letting the smart little pup feel a bit of pride. It was important to play along with their tactics and pretend to get hurt whenever they made a smart move. The positive reinforcement did wonders, urging the pups to learn to use their brains as well as their strength. He caught Eren giggling at him from a few meters away and clapping too for the triumphant pup. The little grey brat strut over to Eren and accepted a scratch behind the ears, looking back at him with the most cunning, teasing grin. The moment Eren started handing out head scratches, all the pups were surrounding him again with pleading whines and yips.

Eren seemed to follow after Levi, pretending to fall over when they pounced on him. His endless laughter, however, gave him away and made the lesson more into a game. Levi didn’t mind, though. Eren’s laughter was like a symphony, filling the bleak space with color and light. The pups seemed to like it too as they all seemed to try a little harder to get Eren giggling some more.

One brave little pup started to wander a little too far from the pack. Levi circled around the play-space and picked them up by the scruff of their neck to deliver them back to the others. He growled a little, scolding them for sneaking off, but then returned back to his post where he could lay and watch his mate interact with the pups.

It really wasn’t much of a punishment as Eren seemed to be having more than enough fun. He’d have to assign him to some cleaning later. Eventually, he’d have to pick up on his own duties too. Patrols, hunting, scouting, and probably a battle or two awaited his leadership. They’d have to visit their sister packs and retain their allies with offerings and traditions. With so much ahead of them, Levi knew he had to appreciate the time they still had. With their bond still fresh, he was told countless times that it was more important to stay close to Eren rather than immediately jumping back into his old routine. His body knew it to be true, punishing him with pain every time they got a little too far apart. And that bear attack had his heart still racing. Potential danger lurked around every corner, threatening to take Eren away from him.

And, of course, there were those lustful _urges_ he’d been attempting to suppress. Every new pair usually spent a week or two locked away in their cabin, with only the Alpha leaving to get more food. Eren, however, was a special case that Levi knew he needed to approach differently. As much as he hated it, Eren was too dependent on his own freedom to allow himself to be locked away for a week.

Levi hadn’t expected him to be so open to the new world around him, and to Levi as well. There was definitely less of a fight than he’d anticipated. It was just another thing about Eren that made Levi fall even deeper in love. He wanted to tell him, to prove to Eren that he had Levi’s heart in his hands. He’d come close to blurting it out when they’d lie together at night before dozing off. Eren wasn’t ready for that, though, and he knew it. Eren had no experience with love other than the love of his own hand and he’d never expressed any desire for it either. He didn’t know the love of a father or a sibling. He vaguely knew of the love his mother had for him. Other than that, he’d only received hatred and mocking.

It only made Levi want to smother him even more. The brat deserved all the love in the world after suffering alone for so long.

“That… that tickles!” he screeched as the pups all toppled over him and licked at his face and arms. His shrill laughter warmed Levi’s heart.

A few claps from the main house caught the pups’ attention and they all scurried back inside for dinner. Kuchel leaned against the doorframe and gave Levi a knowing smile, one that approved of Eren and assured her more of their growing bond.

Levi trotted up to his panting mate and started urging him back home. If the Omega stayed out any longer, he’d probably catch a cold. Eren just snorted and complied, as if he knew exactly what Levi was thinking. “I know, I know. You’re worried I’ll get sick or something. I’ll go warm up.” He gave Levi a few pats on the head before taking the lead on the little trail back to the cabin. A few steps in, Eren snorted again and said, “This is sort of normal compared to everything that has happened over the past week. You, like that. Me, like this. I sort of missed my dog.”

Levi growled at the word _dog_. It was almost as annoying as when people would call him _short._ Eren just laughed even more. “I’ll never stop calling you that, you know. You deserve it for keeping your secret from me for so long.”

It seemed Eren was becoming more and more comfortable every day, his inner snarky brat coming back out to play. Levi was glad, happy that Eren seemed to be fitting in and feeling at ease. He corralled Eren into their cabin and the moment the door closed, Levi changed back effortlessly into a human. If Eren wanted to tease, Levi would tease too.

He shucked off his coat and peeled off his shirt, revealing his scarred, firm torso underneath. After watching Eren sputter and blush whenever he caught a glimpse of Levi’s naked chest, he tried to mind his mate’s emotions and kept his clothes on. This time, however, he felt Eren was due for a little taunting. As if on cue, Eren’s face grew a few shades pinker as he shamelessly stared. All those years stuck in his wolf form didn’t change his defined muscles, ones that would only help him protect Eren as the years went on. It seemed they served a dual purpose of luring in Eren’s gaze as well.

“My eyes are up here,” he teased Eren with a little darkness in his voice.

“Yeah, I know,” Eren waved him off, still staring.

“Since when did my innocent little puppy become so brazen?”

“I, uh…” Eren finally snatched his eyes away to meet Levi’s stare. He had no explanation and his blush got a little hotter. “Sorry. You’re, um… nice to look at.”

“I think that’s the sincerest compliment you’ve given me since we’ve started our two-way conversations. I’m swooning.” Levi winked and grabbed his clothes from the floor to set them aside. Their magical properties were rare and hard to come by in the winter, so he needed to keep them in good condition. He was growing to enjoy the feel of his bare, human skin as opposed to the matted fur he’d lived in for years while waiting for Eren. It was cooler, easier to clean, and a little more intimate in a vulnerable way. He used to prefer his canine form, but after holding Eren on their first real night together he had a change of heart.

It reminded him of their lack of contact as of late. His inner Alpha yearned for that contact and he knew Eren must have too. The fact Eren hadn’t initiated any sort of closeness had Levi a little shaken. Still, he wouldn’t give into his own desires. He’d let Eren set their pace.

But that didn’t mean he couldn’t tease the brat a little.

After his coat and shirt were hung up in their usual spot, left to dry over a mat, his boots and pants came next. It left him in a tight pair of undergarments that clung to his skin like a tiny pair of shorts. They did nothing to hide the heat he was packing between his legs, but Levi honestly didn’t give a rat’s ass. Everything he was belonged to Eren, so why not show it off a little? It was all worth it to see Eren stumble back until the backs of his knees hit the bed and he toppled over.

“You okay, puppy?” Levi had to ask, walking over to tower over the flustered Omega. “Lost your footing, hm?”

He had to wonder what Eren saw. Most likely a messy-haired, blue-streaked, wolfish man with feral desires and teeth ready to sink into flesh. Levi ran a hand through his hair in hopes to look a little less wild, but it didn’t seem to help. Eren was biting his plump, lower lip and those emerald eyes were darting all over Levi’s form in an effort to take him in. The scent of arousal pooled around them, letting Levi know that his appearance wasn’t unwelcome.

With trembling fingers, Eren pulled on the strings of his own fur coat. Without the help of his vision, he couldn’t get the strings to untangle so it was a hopeless fight between fumbling fingers and petulant strings. The crease in his brow showed off his inner frustration, but he refused to take his eyes off of Levi. It was adorable, really, and Levi reached down to aid in the battle. With just a few dexterous pulls and twists, he helped Eren slip out of the coat. A bit of snow was still packed into the fur, so Levi slowly hung it up with the others to dry.

When he turned back around to face Eren, the Omega was already holding out his shirt. “Could you hang this one up too?” he asked softly, meekly. It was unlike his usual boisterous tone. For Eren, this was familiar yet still uncharted territory.

“Of course,” Levi replied, taking the shirt and repeating the process of hanging it up. He could hear Eren shuffling and assumed he’d gotten comfortable in bed. When he looked back again, Eren had his boots in one hand and his pants in the other. “These too?”

With that, they were both equal in dressing down. Eren’s shorts were even tighter around his slightly larger frame and it took everything Levi had to patiently set his boots by the door and hang his pants up instead of pouncing on his mate.

“So… how’d you get those scars?” Eren eventually asked, filling the tense silence.

Levi reignited the fire in the hearth and hummed, “Protecting you, mostly. A few are from before we met, but most are from after.”

“I don’t remember you getting hurt at all…” Eren pondered. “Only once, when we both got hit a few times with that old woman’s cane when she shooed us away from her front stoop. She got you pretty good.”

“When you first started changing… there were some wolves in the area who sought to stake their claim. I never ventured too far from you, but when I knew you were safe somewhere at night I would chase them off.” He shrugged, not thinking much of it. There were plenty of times in Dot’s tea shop that he’d go off for a few hours to show any other bachelors that Eren was _not_ available. Luckily, he wouldn’t have that problem as much now that Eren wore his marking. With every passing day, Levi noticed how it faded as it healed and he hoped to change that soon.

“I had no idea,” Eren took a few steps closer to Levi in order to brush his fingertip against a particularly prominent scar on his shoulder. “Sorry.”

“You shouldn’t apologize. It’s not your fault.” Levi tried to stifle the shiver running from Eren’s touch all the way through his body. He failed and trembled under Eren’s fingers. “You’re mine now, so every one of these scars was worth it.”

Eren was quiet for a moment, which made Levi turn to face his mate. He had to wonder what was going through Eren’s head at that moment. When he turned, Eren’s lips met his in a soft and delicate kiss. After pulling away for just a second, Eren gained a little more courage and went in for an even deeper kiss. His chapped lips slotted against Levi’s smoothly and he remained like that for a few beautiful seconds before pulling away and batting those long eyelashes. “Thank you, Levi.”

He trailed back toward the bed and left space for Levi to sit next to him. They’d slept side-by-side for a few days, but usually fully clothed and at a safe distance. Sometime in the night, Eren would pull in closer and clasp onto him in his sleep. The space next to Eren wasn’t for sleeping, though. It was an invitation for something more.

At that moment, Levi would have fought off ten bears just to get to his mate. He would have taken down wolf after wolf, tearing them out of his way in thoughtless bloodshed. He’d have done anything to prove to Eren that he was a capable mate who could keep him safe and satisfied. The scars weren’t just souvenirs from battles but rather proof that he’d fight again and again for the sake of his mate.

A ravenous desire bubbled up in his gut, one that had been slowly growing for days since their first coupling. With a few long strides, he closed the gap between them and crawled over the empty space to Eren. Eren leaned back against the pillows, fully lying down while Levi crawled over him to trap him under palms and knees. “Eren…” Levi whispered, hopefully voicing his intent by just uttering his mate’s name.

The message got across loud and clear. Eren lifted his head up to kiss Levi again, this time with a little less control and a little more heat. Two hands came up to hold onto Levi’s cheeks, cupping them between sweaty palms to keep the Alpha in place.

Instinct ruled the room, pushing the two closer and closer together. An inhuman growl thundered out of Eren’s throat, the wolf inside ready to bite, claw, and claim. Levi nosed at Eren’s cheek and looked up at him with dark, waiting eyes.

 _Let that beast inside loose,_ Levi wanted to beckon. _Let it consume me whole._

Luckily, he didn’t need to say it. Sharp teeth came down onto his neck, as he was held firmly by his mate. Eren had already let that wolf free.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for your patience ^^ I hope you enjoyed the third chapter of this one <3
> 
> If you have any questions, concerns, requests, suggestions or just want to chit-chat, you can find me on tumblr: [snakemittenswrites](https://snakemittenswrites.tumblr.com/)
> 
> Here’s a link to my personal blog as well!: [snakemittens](https://snakemittens.tumblr.com/)


	4. Chapter 4

A mix of beast and man took over Eren Jaeger’s body, soul, and mind. His every fiber was howling ferally. His motivations snarled with a possessive, violent need. A light growl escaped is throat, something inhuman yet natural. Their home felt hot and the heady scent of lust drifted around them heavily. Eren didn’t need a breath of fresh air, though, he’d much rather inhale every little breath of his mate that he could. Levi’s scent was so deliciously tempting that Eren couldn’t help but take a bite, leaving a mark that would announce his claim and scar in a bloody mess.

It seemed easy and right to leave such a scar on his mate and Eren didn’t think twice about it. He didn’t wonder if Levi was hurting, because the Alpha made no such indication. Instead, Levi leaned into his bite and wrapped a hand around the back of Eren’s neck to pull him in even closer. His grip was tight, but Eren loved just how grounded it made him feel as he kept his teeth sunk into pale flesh.

Blood pooled around his lips and started to drip over their bare bodies. It painted them both, splattering over Levi’s blue markings and Eren’s bronzed skin. When Eren pulled his teeth out and away, the blood only spilled even faster from new wounds. Instead of following the logic of his human brain and grabbing something to stop the bleeding, Eren trusted his inner wolf instead. Like an animal, he leaned into start lapping at the spots, licking away the smeared blood and coating the spot with his own saliva. While he busied himself with Levi’s neck, his mate leaned over to the bedside table and grabbed a roll of bandages.

“Deep bite. Need these,” Levi groaned out, voice raspy and dark. He started unrolling them himself, but Eren snatched the bandages away in favor of tending to the wounds himself. With the steadiest hands he could manage, he gave a few finishing licks before rolling the light cloth around Levi’s neck, securely yet not too tight. The blood immediately started to soak through the first layer, but he kept going around and around until it was thick and secure. Happy with his work, Eren used a little metal clasp Levi handed him to secure it in place and began kissing the bandages for extra measure.

Little kisses led up to Levi’s jaw, to which Eren was happy to place a few tiny playful nips too. A light little growl accompanied the bites, one initiating something more than just gentle kisses. It was strange but comfortable for all his inhibitions to fall away and fall into his feral desires, no matter how embarrassing.

It was hard to feel embarrassed in the comfortable safety of their den. With the scent of Levi surrounding him like a security blanket, his heart raced with excitement rather than shame or bashfulness. After all, he was with his best friend and with someone he trusted so deeply there wasn’t any room left for shyness. On an emotional and primal level, he wanted to show Levi how he felt. Firstly, was sharing those markings. Secondly…

His face heated up remembering their first night together, wanting to relive those moments again and again. Levi had been patient, never urging Eren into something so intimate without a sure sign of consent. With his erection standing between them, Eren figured that was blatant enough to send the message.

Still, Levi asked in a low, dark tone that Eren could clearly remember. Levi called him _puppy_ in that tone, coloring their cabin with dirty words that made Eren’s heart beat a little faster. “Eren…?”

He didn’t need words to express what he needed, he just pushed Levi until the Alpha down until his back hit their bed. Eren straddled him, sitting on Levi’s upper thighs for balance. He could feel the hot liquid building up and dripping ever so slightly from his hole, making his face heat up. He still wasn’t used to it and wasn’t sure he ever could. The liquid seemed to spur on Levi as the Alpha’s hands came around to grope at Eren’s ass cheeks, kneading them almost roughly. Without much hesitation, Levi pulled Eren up his body a little bit more so two fingers could reach between his cheeks and rub circles around his leaking hole until one dipped in.

“ _Levi_ ,” Eren automatically moaned. The foreign feeling of something entering him was still new and electrifying (and also a little strange, too). It left him wanting more, more friction and more Levi. “Another one,” he managed to say without dying of embarrassment. He wiggled his ass to emphasize his point.

While he expected Levi to deny him the request and scold him for impatience, Levi actually gifted Eren with another finger, stretching him enough to create a little bit of a delicious burn. Everything in his body wanted to be _filled_ with his Alpha, not just teased. Levi worked to stretch him out with smooth, even strokes aided with Eren’s natural lubrication. And if two fingers felt good, Eren was losing his tongue when three were thrust into him.

“Levi!” he howled, tossing his head into his mate’s shoulder again and biting into his shoulder. The new wounds weren’t as deep as the first ones, luckily. His bite dragged out a howl from Levi too, one more beastly than human.

The world spun when Levi took Eren by the hips and turned them over. Eren felt a little dizzy from the kissing and fingering, so his body fell pliant in Levi’s care. He relaxed on his belly with Levi behind him, lifting Eren’s hips to get him into a position for mounting. The position reminded Eren of the first time they’d had sex and it made him feel vulnerable to Levi, but he couldn’t find it in his heart to care. His Alpha would take care of him, the beast inside of him was sure of it. Even so, Eren wiggled in Levi’s grasp as if to test his mate’s resolve.

“ _Still_ , puppy,” Levi chided, bending over Eren to sink his teeth into Eren’s shoulder to hold him in place. The commanding tone had Eren’s knees weakening and Levi holding him in such a violent way left his mouth hanging open with a silent whimper of obedience.

That heavy scent in the air almost acted as a drug and helped his entire body relax under Levi’s weight. It was comfortable, easy, and made him feel safe during such a vulnerable time. With Levi’s teeth in his shoulder, he was completely submissive to his mate’s will.

He felt Levi’s cock sink into him slowly and wetly. It didn’t burn too much, but a lick of discomfort accompanied the penetration. Eren actually _liked_ the stinging tightness, though, and whined until Levi gave him every inch he could. When he was anchored in, Levi removed his teeth from Eren’s flesh and cooed, “Seems my puppy enjoys being bred.”

“ _Levi_ ,” Eren whined even more, pushing back with his hips so his mate would get the idea. As much as he enjoyed the stillness of Levi’s cock inside him, he needed that friction even more.

“Tell me what you want, pup,” Levi demanded, giving Eren’s ass a few patronizing pats. It was probably in Levi’s nature to dominate his mate, his Omega. As much as Eren wanted to fight him just for the hell of it, he couldn’t find it in his heart to. The only person in the entire tundra who could make him submit, was his Alpha.

“To be bred,” he mumbled into the furs below him. He kept his ass high for the easiest angle for Levi just to _pull_ and _push._

Levi hummed with satisfaction, the tiny battle for dominance won. He started moving his hips, slowly at first but gaining momentum with every little noise Eren made.

He didn’t stop until Eren was _howling_ with pleasure. Literally howling, allowing man and beast to combine in the wake of an orgasm. The sound called out to Levi like a siren, causing the Alpha to gasp and hiss in his own climax. Like the first time, his cock seemed to inflate to trap the two in place while Levi came.

They carefully fell to their sides and breathed in the hot air of desire. Levi’s fingers trailed over the bone of Eren’s hip, lightly and softly. His hand came around to wrap around Eren’s flagging cock. While he was still half-hard, he was exhausted and hissed in the overstimulation. “Levi,” Eren started to argue, unsure of what was to happen next.

“Hush,” Levi whispered into his ear, lips grazing over the shell of it. “You’ll come again for me, puppy. I’m going to double your pleasure. I will _never_ leave you wanting.”

With Levi spooning him from behind and a hand wrapping around, Eren felt completely surrounded with warmth, love, and pleasure. His mate’s fingers wrapped tightly around his cock, stroking at the damp flesh. Eren didn’t think he’d reach another orgasm, but Levi was there to hurdle him toward the unimaginable. His mate was truly amazing in seeing the potential that Eren sometimes couldn’t. He didn’t mull over the thought for long, too busy drowning in an overwhelming surge of bliss. There was no will left to hold back the growling howls and lewd moans.

He came again, surprisingly quickly, which left him in a bit of a hazy shock. Since their last coupling, he found himself to be more alert and aware of the night, but Levi still had him feeling dizzy with so many sensations and emotions that it was hard to process.

“You’re such a little pup with so much energy,” Levi commented, almost sounding a little surprised in a good way. He exhaled and Eren felt another surge of heat from Levi’s cock. “It’s irresistible. You’re irresistible.”

Eren had enough energy to hum in response, but no other sound left his lips. Levi put Eren’s wolf to bed and his mind was sure to follow into that dreamy sleep. Before he did, though, Eren turned his head as far as he could to glance at the bandage around Levi’s neck where a new scar would sit forever. It warmed Eren’s heart to know he’d placed that scar there, marking Levi as his own. In that way, they were equals. _Mine and yours._

* * *

It was inevitable, Eren’s curiosity was impossible to ignore and Levi couldn’t just _deny_ Eren of something he so clearly longed for. Though, seeing him hop all over his beloved Team Erwin was a little painful. His heart panged with a strike of jealousy as Eren shared a face of pure glee when he finally saw the sled up close.

The team of eight greeted themselves and made introductions the moment they arrived Levi’s village, and Eren was definitely in for a surprise to see a wolf he’d met before. Mike, the woodworker from the human’s village. The Alpha made some extra human currency with his skills and acted as a basic lookout for the humans, listening in for any information on movements from other packs or potential threats. Under the guise of having a cabin in the forest for better access to wood, he’d run back and forth a few days out of the week to sell his wares and play the part of a human.

There were plenty new faces to Eren too and it was charming to see him get a little shy, a little nervous in front of so many eyes. Still, he put on the bravest face while meeting the sled team. The most exuberant of the team was quick to wrap Eren in a hug without warning, drawing a dark growl from Levi and a petrified squeak from his Omega before he realized the hug was friendly and not an attack. Hange, like in everything they did, they did it loudly. “Eren! You’re _here_! I’m so happy! I used to see your cute little face light up whenever we ran through town, and now I get to see it at _home_!”

“That’s Hange,” Levi took the initiative to explain as Eren looked entirely confused.

Hange just tossed an arm over Eren’s shoulders, as it to just irritate Levi further. “Don’t worry, dear, ole Hange is here to show you the ropes of our team. Let’s see… Erwin’s the lead dog, the one following commands from the musher, setting the pace, and making sure we’re going the right way. Sometimes he’s the musher, but typically he prefers the lead position. He’s got more control that way.”

Erwin gave Eren a little smile and a wave. “It’s nice to finally meet you man-to-man, Eren. Really. From how much Levi gushes about you, I can tell you’re very special to him.” Leave it to Erwin to share all of Levi’s dirty little secrets.

“Mike and Nanaba are the swing wolves, the ones in charge of making sure the rest of the team follows the lead wolf’s instruction. They’re situated right behind Erwin in the line-up and are close to him in case he needs to give any signals to the rest of the team, so they can pass instructions down the line.”

The two blondes gave little waves but didn’t speak. Neither spoke much as it was, preferring graceful silence to word. Levi admired that about them.

“Gelgar and Lynne are team wolves who help maintain speed. It’s more important than you think. Getting stuck in the middle is tough shit, and they do a great job. One slip up from either of them and the entire team goes down, so I commend them for their skill. Sometimes we can have up to six team dogs, but on short little trips we usually stick with two.”

Both wolves followed Mike and Nanaba’s example, waving rather than speaking. Lynne blushed at Hange’s compliment and tugged at the furs she wore. Gelgar teased her for her coyness.

“And Moblit and I are wheel wolves! We steer the sled and help pull it forward! We give the sled that extra _oomf_!” Hange abandoned Eren in favor of putting their arm around Moblit instead, who looked just as shaken as Eren from being jostled around so much. “And now you know all about how our teams work!”

“Uh… Hange… you forgot Nile,” Moblit coughed a few times, reminding them of their forgotten musher.

Nile stood before them with a mildly irritated stare, crossing his arms and sighing.

“Nile’s the musher!” Hange exclaimed, with extra energy to make up for forgetting their musher. “He’s also one of the pack advisors in charge of our little expeditions.”

“Thanks for the mention,” Nile snorted, taking her mistake in good humor. It wasn’t often he was in such good spirits, usually arguing with Erwin over something menial or rushing off to his dear Marie after a long expedition.

Levi knew the tension between the two Alphas, Erwin and Nile, but never spoke of it. He knew Erwin’s desires to take Nile’s place, but stayed out of the fight. While he was heir to the pack leader and could potentially replace Nile with Erwin. Though, he could also be challenged for the position of pack leader as well when the time came. He knew it was wiser to remain neutral, no matter where his emotions swayed. Their power struggle was between them, and he definitely wouldn’t get involved.

“Our sister-tribe is just a few miles away, so we run back and forth quite a bit,” Hange went on to explain. “We can cover more territory by splitting in two, plus too many wolves in one place is always a bad idea. We’re pack-oriented creatures, but also territorial too. It’s a delicate balance, but an essential one.”

Eren was obviously absorbed in looking at the sled in all its polished glory. Mike constructed a new one after the old one was used to shit. Luckily, he left it out back instead of burning it or giving it way so Levi would have a decent way of getting Eren home.

“Think you’ll be a sled wolf someday? Or a musher?” Hange asked, catching onto Eren’s entrancement.

“My mom was a musher,” he told them. “And I swore I’d be one too.”

“We’ve got some smaller sleds. I bet Levi would let you strap him up and teach you how to do it,” Mike spoke, catching everyone’s attention.

Eren turned to Levi with sparkling puppy-dog eyes that could have convinced Levi to murder. It only took a few thoughtful seconds before Levi sighed, giving in. “As long as you get us something that won’t crumble like the last one. Something _safe_ for Eren.”

“I think we could manage that, like a little welcome gift,” Mike smiled a little. “I know you’ve been through hard times, Eren. But, it looks like Levi kept you alive and well enough to get you home. I’m really glad you’re here with us now.”

Mike had seen Eren’s struggles and helped in his own ways from the sidelines. He quelled infuriated villages, convincing them to leave Eren and his dog alone. He supported those letting Eren stay in their back rooms. Mike’s shop wasn’t heated, nor did it have anywhere suitable for Eren to sleep according to Levi’s standards, so he couldn’t offer a roof, but he did offer a human voice when Levi needed one. Levi held Mike in high regard and reminded himself to repay him somehow for his years of service to his own cause as well as the betterment of the pack.

“Thank you,” Eren got out in a whisper. He looked as though he were about to cry with huge, watering eyes and a trembling lip.

Mushing a sled had been Eren’s sole dream for so long, and Levi realized that this little sled, even if it was just a one-wolf, one-man sled, was a step toward it. The first step toward his seemingly impossible dream. If Levi held any apprehension to getting strapped up in a leather harness and yanking around Eren on a sled before, they disappeared with that look.

Sledding was dangerous, Levi knew it better than most. Wolves could get broken ankles or legs, hypothermia, or there was always the possibility of getting lost in a blizzard. He’d always felt secure in keeping Eren safe while they lived in that rotten town, but now that Eren was free, things would have to change. And if that meant Eren wanted to lead a sled team, Levi would help him do it. A good lead wolf at the front of the team made the difference between life and death, so Levi would hold himself accountable as Eren’s lead. The only other wolf he’d trust with such a task was Erwin, though he’d never admit it aloud.

Hange took Eren around the sled to show him how the leather straps worked and how they hooked on to all the wolves. Moblit, Gelgar, and Lynne were the first to shift back into their wolf forms to let Hange and Eren strap them in.

“Don’t be afraid to get them buckled in good and tight, a loose harness is a dangerous one,” Hange reminded Eren, testing his work to make sure everyone was in properly. When his work was satisfactory, she taught him how to get it all off again. It was tedious, but Eren had a lot to learn and it was a great place to start.

“Think you can manage to leave Eren here for a few minutes while we have a talk with the pack leader?” Erwin asked in a low tone, so only they could hear.

“No.” It was Levi’s instant reaction. “He goes where I go. I go where he goes.”

“That’s nice, Levi, but this matter is rather serious,” Erwin narrowed his eyes, trying to get his point across.

Levi narrowed his right back, “That’s nice, Erwin. I’m sure our pack leader can handle the discussion with you herself.” His mother was more than capable at handling whatever was thrown at her, so why would Erwin want to concern Levi with whatever news he had?

“ _Levi_ ,” Erwin stressed. His pheromones started to fill the air between them at that point, pushing his own aggression toward Levi in an inadvertent attempt to dominate the argument. Erwin _rarely_ resorted to such a cheap move, so Levi figured it had to be something fairly-fucking important.

“Fine,” he sighed, giving in. Leaving Erwin for a few moments, he made his way to Eren who was then running his fingers over the basket sled and asking Hange all about it. “Eren,” Levi kept his voice sharp to break through Eren’s dreaming. It caught his Omega’s attention in an instant and Eren came bumbling over with the biggest smile.

“Can you believe it, Levi? Just last month, I was wishing just to _touch_ the sled and now Hange says they can take me for a _ride_ on it!” he enthused, jumping up with excitement.

“Tell her I’ll lead if you’re on the sled,” Levi was quick to tell him. “Now, I’ve got to go talk with Erwin and my mom. Can you stay here with Hange and the others until I get back?”

Eren rolled his eyes dramatically at his first comment but was still smiling anyway. “Yes, I’ll be here. Don’t worry so much.”

Levi rustled his mate’s hair, sending the brown locks flipping all over the place in a mess. It was cuter that way, in Levi’s opinion. His wrists trailed down from Eren’s hair to across his neck where a beautiful scar was forming. It was a casual, yet purposeful, way of scent-marking his mate.

“I can smell you off of him from a mile away, you really don’t have to over-do it,” Hange wrinkled up their nose.

Levi ignored the comment and followed Erwin toward the main house where it was surprisingly quiet. He guessed the orphan pups were out running around with Hannes rather than yapping around the house and nipping at heels. Usually, someone would take them for a run around the nearby forests and territory at least once a day to get them acquainted with the area. Usually, Hannes got pinned with the responsibility. Levi wondered, once Eren got comfortable enough and learned the area for himself if he’d be interested in taking that job. After all, once Levi became pack leader, he’d take the orphans as his own children. His mind wandered, knowing that Eren would make a wonderful parent, much better than Levi could have ever been.

“Erwin, it’s wonderful to see you again,” Kuchel greeted them both once they’d finally trailed into the elder’s main room. It seemed she was the only one there, curled up on her usual spot by the fire. Serene and gorgeous as always, damn he had missed her while watching over Eren. The years had treated her kindly as ever, and if they hadn’t then she had defied their tests of time.

“You as well, Kuchel. I have… unfortunate news. I wouldn’t have said anything if I had believed it to be simply gossip, but I do believe the situation has escalated to the point of worry,” Erwin frowned and chose to sit on the floor next to her. Levi followed suit, leaning up against her subconsciously.

“Go on,” she kept her voice level, panic void in her scent.

“I believe Nile will challenge Levi for his spot as pack leader when the times comes. I understand you’re planning on retiring soon to focus on the children, respectable of course. During the transition, though, Levi is in an undesirable position. He’s been gone from the pack for years while Nile has been around, leading expeditions and keeping our kin safe from other packs. While those who support you may support Levi as well, there are others who are unsure.”

 _Oh._ It was why Erwin wanted Levi present for the meeting. He wasn’t asking for anything, but rather warning the two of them.

“And what do you believe you will get from informing me of this potential threat?” Kuchel asked. “What’s your purpose, Erwin Smith?”

“I want a pack leader that I trust. I trust you, I trust Levi, but I don’t trust Nile,” Erwin’s answer came out with ease, prepared for her question. “Keith does an impeccable job at controlling our food supply and hunting territories. Nile doubts his judgement and strays from the approved hunting grounds. Hannes’ work with keeping our territory safe from poachers and intruders and his execution of border patrol has left us with many peaceful years, yet Nile curses his name left and right. He claims Darius limits their potential and that you, Kuchel, are inadequate.”

The last sentence had Levi snarling. Not at Erwin, but at the mere thought of someone calling his mother lackluster. Her calming scent overpowered his anger, though, and she remained stoic. “And how can I believe your accusations? They’re rather harsh, especially for someone I work closely with.”

“I also work closely with Nile during sled missions. He runs his mouth without you around. You can ask any other member from the team, and they’ll confirm my word. I believe I’ve won the trust of your son, possibly the least trusting of anyone in our pack, and I hope I can win yours as well.” Erwin’s eloquence was almost sickening, but Levi was too interested in the warning than the colored, tailored words he used.

He’d suspected there would be some conflict when he arrived back home with Eren. He knew becoming a pack leader wasn’t easy, and that it wasn’t the simple passing of a crown. Suspicions of getting challenged were high, the lack of trust of his fellow packmates was expected, and his time away left him with missed experience. But, he hadn’t expected Erwin to stand up for him.

“I believe him,” Levi vouched. He really didn’t even like Erwin that much, but he believed him.

“I do too,” Kuchel sighed. “But a challenge is a challenge. Levi…” she turned to her son with a look of pure determination. “When the time comes, you _will_ concur Nile. You know this, yes?”

“Yes,” he nodded.

“You will,” she asserted. “Or you’ll die.”

The gruesome tradition they’d kept seemed to be the only thing no one could get rid of. It was an instinct that couldn’t die or be changed. A challenge for leadership meant a fight to the death. It proved the seriousness of their new leader, and their strength to lead the pack forward. The battle stood for power, longevity, and grace under pressure.

Before Eren, Levi wouldn’t have cared about the battle at all. He would have taken it head-on with no fear, no worries. If he lost, the pack would be in stronger hands than his. If he won, he’d manage to follow in his mother’s footsteps to gift them a life of peace and prosperity. With Eren, though, Levi knew the stakes were as high as ever. If he lost to Nile, he’d leave Eren alone and that simply wasn’t an option. His mate had effortlessly become his purpose in life, next to the safety of his entire pack.

* * *

As awful as it seemed, Eren hadn’t really noticed Levi’s lack of presence while the sled team led him to a shed out by the main house. Mike kept a few of his creations in the shed, _overstock_ he said. Amongst the rocking chairs and mallard carvings, was a one-person basket sled. The light wood was dusty, but Mike pulled it out into the snow and started a little inspection, mumbling to himself.

“Main runner is perfect,” he slid his hand along the bottom, curved pieces. “Handlebar needs some new cushioning, nothing some cloth can’t fix. Top rail, stable. Let’s see…”

He perused through some of the high shelves in the shed to pull out a harness and ropes. It was made of a light brown hide, fastened with bronze clasps and rings. “This one should fit Levi, I think. If not, we can always adjust.”

“It’s the child-sized harness,” Hange giggled under their breath.

 “If he could hear you right now, he _would_ kill you. You know that, right?” Moblit raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms like a sassy mom.

“Worth the risk,” Hange snickered.

“Is it?” a dark, chilling voice caused them all to turn around with bright red faces of guilt. Levi stood there, crossing his arms and tapping his foot with annoyance.

“Levi, look!” Eren disregarded the tension and grabbed Levi’s wrist to yank him toward the sled. He was too excited to mind Levi’s irritation and pointed at every little thing, reciting all the things Mike had taught him about the sled.

“Ready to strap up, Sparky?” Mike held up the harness and smirked, an actual joke coming from the blond giant.

“Ass,” Levi returned with a scowl before transforming. His form shrunk down to that of a pure black wolf, a sight that would make Eren’s heart overflow and skip a beat every time. His mate was beautiful and breathtaking, no matter what form.

Eren took the lead in getting Levi into the harness, with a lot of help from the cooperative wolf. Levi lifted his feet and moved around to make the job easy for Eren. Mike helped secure the buckles and attach him to the sled properly. He assured Levi it was safe and taught Eren how to step onto the foot boards and hold on tightly to the handlebar.

“It might hurt your hands after a bit without proper gloves. Levi will judge how long you’ll be out. Knowing him, you won’t have time to get the least bit cold.” Mike hummed. “We can teach you real commands later, but for now just keep a good hold on the sled and you’ll be fine. The best part about werewolves is that we know what we’re doing and where we’re going without instruction, so the musher doesn’t have to do much other than watch over cargo and make sure everyone is safe and headed in the right direction.”

“Right...” Eren tested out his place on the sled, grinning until his face hurt. It was a sunny afternoon, perfect for a ride. He’d gotten to ride briefly on their trip toward the village, but not since then. The ride had been so exhilarating, he’d been yearning for another. With his very own sled and the most trustworthy lead wolf he could ever find, he trusted that he’d get to have many more. His heart pumped wildly in his chest when he felt the first tug forward from Levi, turning them toward the clear horizon away from the village.

“I’d warn you about the bears, but I think you’re in safe hands. Have fun,” Mike gave him a little smile, a genuine one, before Levi took off at the speed of light.

“Shit!” Eren squealed at the jolt of being hauled forward at such a fast pace. Levi’s feet tread through the snow with unbelievable ease while the sled floated over the top layer. Once the first few seconds of panic died, he broke out into laughter. It was just as wonderful as the first time, if not better. He cheered Levi on with hoots and hollers, beaming at the white terrain ahead of them and gazing up at the clear, blue sky.

Sunlight sparkled off the snow, creating a pathway of shining glitter. The cold didn’t even bother Eren and he embraced the wind rushing against his bare face, biting at his skin and making him feel completely and beautifully alive.

Levi turned ninety degrees, sending the sled slipping across the snow to the left with grace and tugging forward to follow after the barreling, black werewolf. Eren didn’t have to wonder if Levi was having fun as his mate howled with joy alongside Eren’s laughter.

It was like a tour of their territory, Eren found. Levi rounded his way around some groupings of trees and small little forests, taking a path he seemed to have memorized. Eren noticed little pawprints dipping into the snow, suggesting more little animals took the path as well. For some reason, Eren decided learning their territory was important enough to pay close attention.

They never went through the forests, instead taking the long perimeter around them. Eren figured it was to avoid the risk of crashing into a tree. He definitely didn’t mind the safe route, especially when he caught sight of a herd of caribou crossing the tundra from a far.

Levi rounded another corner and Eren held on a little tighter as his sled curved around and forward. Eren noticed they were nearing a river and they traveled beside it so Eren could watch as chunks of ice floated down the torrenting waters.

The night sight to see was a large cavern with pillars of ice holding up a crystalline ceiling. Their path become a bit rougher with less snow to glide over, but Levi pursued on to show off the huge, beautiful space.

They popped out on the other side of the cavern back toward the village. Eren caught slight differences in the scent of the air, wondering if they were on the border of another’s territory. Levi must have caught it too and took a sharp turn inward, not daring to step on another’s land.

Instead of heading straight back to the village, though, he took a shortcut between two groupings of trees toward some hills. They slowed a little as they ascended the first snowy mound and sped up as they descended. The land was like a huge bowl, Eren found, with a steaming hot spring at the bottom of the basin. Levi raced back up the lip of the bowl and pulled them straight back home.

Once they’d arrived in the village, Levi pulled them right up to their cabin and waited patiently for Eren to hop off the sled and detach Levi from the straps trapping him in. Once the harness was completely off, Levi morphed right back into his human shape and shook the snow out of his hair. “Enjoy the tour?” he asked with a little humor in his voice. He seemed breathless, still panting as a human. He’d exerted himself during the entire run around their land, of course he’d end up exhausted.

“Loved it,” Eren assured, taking a step forward to close the space between them. He latched onto Levi in a huge hug, wanting to convey just how much the sled and the ride meant to him. “Thank you.”

“Anytime,” Levi reached up to brush the snow out of Eren’s hair. “That was a longer ride than I expected. Are you cold?”

“If I am, I can’t feel it. I’m too excited,” Eren answered with complete honesty.

Levi grabbed his hands to feel at his fingers. “Inside with you. I’ll start a fire.”

Eren didn’t have any energy or willpower to complain and let himself inside, shedding off his outer, snowy layers and hanging them up like Levi always did. Once he was dressed down to his undershirt and tight, black, fur-lined pants, he made himself comfortable on the bed wrapped up in a fur.

Levi took his time getting a roaring fire blazing in the helm and a metal kettle of water over it. Once that was all done, Levi sat next to Eren and started thumbing at his face. “You need a bath,” he decided.

“I do?” Eren squinted. He’d washed recently and didn’t remember rolling in any dirt as of late.

“You smell like the others,” Levi grumbled, leaning forward to lick at Eren’s face.

With a surprised squeak, Eren tensed under his mate’s tongue.

“Sit still, will you?” Levi scolded.

Eren just whined and tried to relax, allowing Levi to lick his face and over his neck. His mate spent extra time lapping over his marking and down around his clavicle. As expected, Levi didn’t even forget the space behind Eren’s ears.

“Are you happy here?” Levi asked suddenly, out of nowhere.

To Eren, the answer was blatantly obvious. “Of course. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.” He thought for a moment and began to ramble while Levi lapped at his temple. “It’s so pretty. Everyone’s so nice, I love them all. The pups are really cute and so much fun. Your mom… she’s so kind. We got a real sled and get to use it now! And…” Eren blushed. “I have you. Of course, I’m happy here.”

“Then I’ll do everything I can to keep you here, with me,” Levi promised. It was an odd promise, one Eren hadn’t expected. He still found it endearing nonetheless. Perhaps there was something behind it, something Levi wasn’t telling him. Even so, he trusted his mate with his entire heart.

“I will too,” he promised right back. It seemed right in the moment, like it was something Levi needed to hear. After all, it was true. Eren would do anything it took to keep his new life, no matter what.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everybody! Thanks so much for tuning into a new chapter <3 (And thank you for your patience... I can't believe how long I've been working on this chapter! I ended up cutting it a little short just to keep it moving along, so I'm hoping to get it going much faster now!)
> 
> If you have any questions, concerns, requests, suggestions or just want to chit-chat, you can find me on tumblr: [snakemittenswrites](https://snakemittenswrites.tumblr.com/)
> 
> Here’s a link to my personal blog as well!: [snakemittens](https://snakemittens.tumblr.com/)


	5. Chapter 5

“There’s a blizzard on its way,” Levi noticed, sniffing at the air and keeping eyes pointed at the horizon. There were subtle ways he could sense the weather and any werewolf could sense the oncoming storm. Well, except Eren, but his little pup was still getting used to his new form.

“Is there?” Eren cocked his head to the side and yawned. He was curled up in bed still, nestled in warm furs and goose-feather pillows. At the word ‘blizzard’, he shivered as if remembering the few blizzards they’d fared while living in town. They were all far from fun and Levi remembered fearing for Eren’s life a few times when it got too cold. He’d been tempted to just haul Eren’s ass back to the village after those storms but didn’t have the confirmation of Eren’s wolfish lineage that he needed to do so. A human in a werewolf village wouldn’t have lasted long, nor could they ever fully be trusted. Luckily, he didn’t have to worry about it anymore. Though, if Eren hadn’t ever shown his inner wolf and was truly a human, Levi wondered if he would have been able to bring himself back to the other wolves. A part of him knew he would have just stuck with Eren, no matter what.

“There is. It’ll be a rough one too. We’ll probably head over to the main house to wait it out.”

“Does everyone go there during storms?”

“No, usually everyone stays put in their homes. We’ll go to the main house, though, to help out my mother and keep the pups occupied. All part of being the future pack leader.”

Eren sighed and pouted a little. “And here I thought I’d get you all to myself for a few days. Locked up in a cabin… alone…”

“You’re becoming a brazen little pup, you know that?” Levi teased, leaving his spot by the window to join Eren in bed. He crawled up until he could trap Eren between his two hands, placing each on either side of Eren’s shoulders to keep him down. “Less afraid to ask for what you want of me now?”

“A little,” Eren grinned, showing off pearly white teeth like a cheeky little brat. It was endearing as ever, like everything else Eren did.

As much as Levi wanted to ravish his Omega, he knew that a blizzard wasn’t something to just ignore. “I wanted to take you hunting with us today,” he announced. “Isabel, Farlan, and I are going to need to stock up on some food in case we get snowed in for longer than expected. Hungry pups are like little demons, I swear.”

Eren snorted but his eyes lit up at the sound of hunting. “I can really go with you?”

“You’ll have to learn eventually,” Levi rolled to his side, releasing Eren. “We’ll teach you. It’s easy once you get the hang of it. You’ll just have to be quiet, so you don’t scare away the prey.”

“I can do that!” Eren exclaimed loudly.

“Can you?” Levi smirked.

Eren slapped a hand over his mouth as he giggled, realizing that at that moment he was being the complete _opposite_ of quiet. “I can,” he adjusted his tone to a whisper but kept on giggling through the words.

“You’ll do great.” Levi ruffled Eren’s hair and hefted himself out of bed to change his clothes. He threw out an outfit for Eren too, trying to choose the warmest of garments. While he knew he’d need to get some clothes magically tailored for Eren eventually, he’d procrastinated on the task. He quite liked how Eren looked, and smelled, in _his_ clothes. It was the same feeling he got while watching Eren sleep in the furs that Levi had trapped or seeing Eren eat the prey that Levi had hunted.

Eren changed quickly, a display of pure eagerness to get going with the day. Levi figured his mate would get a certain satisfaction from feeling useful to the pack. Eren wasn’t the type to laze around and Levi knew he’d enjoy the hunt. Hunting was embedded into a werewolf’s genes, a need unshakeable. Once he got the hang of it, Levi knew Eren would excel like no other. Eren was a survivor, a fighter, and would never give up on his goal. It was everything he needed to become a terrifyingly lovely predator.

“Ready?” Levi asked after tying up his boots.

“Ready,” Eren replied, already waiting by the door and bouncing on his feet, yet another thing that Levi found utterly adorable.

They burst out the door and into their frozen village. Wolves were already meandering about and forming groups to hunt in preparation for the storm. Isabel and Farlan were waiting outside the door, holding hands and smiling at one another with pure bliss. When Isabel spotted them, she pulled Farlan over to greet them. “It’s about time! All the game will be gone by the time we get out there!”

“Isabel, with a guy like Levi in our pack, we’ll get plenty,” Farlan laughed. He turned his gaze to Eren and seemed to glow with excitement. “Ready for your first hunt? We’re headed to a great spot. It’ll be a good place to learn.”

“Farlan’s a great teacher,” Isabel added. “He’s patient, unlike Levi and I.”

Not only was Farlan patient with beginners, but Levi trusted him as well to watch over Eren during his first hunt. Levi needed to take charge and make sure to get enough to feed the pups for a while. While he did that with Isabel, he’d let Farlan work with Eren.

* * *

“We work together as a team to surround, corner, and kill,” Farlan shortly explained when they’d gotten to their chosen hunting grounds. Eren listened as closely as he could, wanting to do his best and not end up as a total failure. “Watch Isabel and Levi closely.”

Eren and Farlan were still in human form, crouching in the snowy brush while watching Isabel and Levi from afar. It was easy to spot the pure black wolf and Isabel’s striking red and white. Eren wondered if white shades would have helped them blend in a little better, but he disregarded the fact as he watched them work with ease. Isabel corralled a young fawn away from the small pack and sprinted after it through the trees. Out of nowhere, Levi shot out from the side to tackle the thing to the ground and kill it in one swift bite.

There was something awfully arousing about watching Levi in such a gruesome state, and it nearly scared Eren. He’d never seen much violence beyond bullies in town, but not killing or slaughter. Watching Levi maim, though, lit a fire in the deepest regions of his instincts.

“It’s unlike anything else, no?” Farlan asked with a little laugh, probably feeling the exact same thing as Eren.

“Yeah,” he absentmindedly agreed, still watching as they dragged their prey toward Farlan and Eren to start a pile.

“Okay, your turn,” Farlan clapped. “Follow Isabel’s lead, we’ll have you chase them our way first. Perhaps on another trip, we’ll teach you how to kill them effectively. Levi let me know that you probably weren’t ready to take any lives yet. He’d rather you learn to corral them around first.”

Eren just nodded and shifted forms, happy with himself that he could control the transformation with ease. Levi didn’t think he was ready? It made him want to try anyway. Farlan shifted too, leaving the four wolves off to another hunt.

It was easy to find another group of deer. Eren crept behind Isabel, keeping his steps as quiet and even as hers. He made sure to step in her paw prints to eliminate the sound of crunching from the snow. Once they were close enough, though, she took off like a bullet and Eren shot right after her. He didn’t let her get too far ahead, keeping pace with ease.

She targeted the slowest of the pack, an older-looking doe with a medium-sized frame. Isabel put herself between the rest of the group and the older doe, separating them easily. Eren pulled up from behind, making the doe steer off even farther. There was a certain sense of accomplishment in it, driving the unsuspecting creature closer to Levi and Farlan. Isabel let out a little, happy bark as if to compliment his maneuver, making the success even sweeter.

When they’d gotten close enough, Farlan and Levi darted out from their hiding place. Farlan went low, hurling himself at the doe’s legs to knock it off its feet. Levi went high, leaping up to catch the doe by the nape of its neck and delivering a fatal bite that snapped through bone and killed on impact.

It happened so quickly, Eren nearly missed it. The acute, preciseness of the slaughter was impressive. What was even more frighteningly impressive was the quiet strike- if Eren hadn’t seen it, he wouldn’t have known the deer met its end at the joining of Levi’s jaws.

After dragging the pile, it was time to hunt again. This time, they had to travel out farther to catch up with another herd of deer tracking through the forests. Eren noticed how Levi and Farlan followed the hoof-prints in the snow and sniffed at the trees for a helpful indication of their location. For education’s sake, Eren sniffed at the trees too in hopes to figure out what they were smelling. He noticed a little muskiness on some trees that didn’t exist on others, and he guessed those were trees that the deer had rubbed up against accidentally while roaming.

It wasn’t long before they found a new herd, all of them crept up slowly and carefully as to not disturb their waiting prey. Farlan nosed at Isabel and Eren, as if instructing them to do just what they did before. Levi nodded his head in agreement, already starting to sneak his way around the trees to get to a good vantage point. Once the plan was clear to all, Farlan followed him and Isabel took the lead again. Eren could almost hear her countdown… _3…2…1…_

She took off like a bullet toward the herd and they noticed her immediately, all raising their heads at the sound of her feet and turning to run themselves. Isabel yipped a few times to get them running even harder, attempting to push them to their limits in order to find the weakest link. Inevitably, one fell behind.

Isabel turned to one side of the deer, steering it aside while Eren kept rushing it from behind. A feral yearning ached in Eren’s heart, urging him to lunge forward and grab his prey between his own jaws like Levi had. He wanted to _hunt_ rather than _chase_. A part of him felt unsuccessful without trapping one himself. There was the pack to consider, though, and he couldn’t just go against the plan.

Or could he? The deer was _right in front of him._ He glanced around to see that Farlan and Levi were nowhere in sight. Isabel was still running, wearing the poor thing out until it started to slow.

Eren went for it, lunging forward and clawing himself up onto the deer’s back. Like he’d seen before, he bit right into the nape of the deer’s neck and _crunched_ right through bone and muscle. Just as soon as his fangs dug into those essential cords and bones, the deer fell in instant death causing them both to topple to the ground. Eren unlatched himself and rolled away, catching his breath before hopping back up onto his paws and rushing back to survey his first catch.

Isabel, Farlan, and Levi gathered with him, all looking curious as hell. They were quiet for a moment and those few seconds of silence allowed dread to form in the pit of Eren’s stomach. Had he made a mistake? Why was he so compelled to act on his own? Should he have just followed Farlan’s instructions?

Levi was the first to look up at him and Eren could have sworn he was smiling. He gave out a little, happy huff of encouragement. It was okay. Eren had done a good job.

Isabel hopped on her paws and howled in excitement, encouraging the other three to do the same. The exhilarating shared howl of success had Eren’s blood pumping. He wanted to do it again and again, addicted to the hunt. Luckily, they needed to stock up on food and the trio led him to another group of deer, a small batch of foxes, and even a flock of geese. Any reservations Eren had about killing animals died in the thrill of hunting. It was the food chain, after all, the facts of life and survival. He kept to his job as a runner most of the time but whenever he got the perfect chance, he’d go for it without hesitation.

The part he hated, though, was dragging back their winnings to the village. It took several trips for the four of them to deliver the game to the village where there were plenty of people waiting to butcher up the animals into useable meats.

Once they were finished for good, Farlan and Isabel ran off to romp around in the snow together like puppies would. They seemed happy and carefree together, despite their obvious frustrations with bearing pups for themselves. It warmed Eren’s heart to see them so stupidly in love. He wondered when he and Levi could play like that again, two beasts enjoying the sunshine.

Levi seemed to have other plans rather than playing and steered them back to the cabin, transforming back into his human form when he’d gotten them both inside. Eren gazed at his mate, covered in the blood of their trappings. His heart throbbed again with a strange, unfamiliar arousal. He was absolutely star-struck by the ferocity of his mate.

“You’re staring,” Levi noticed with a little smirk. “Can I have my boy back or am I stuck with my puppy today? I’m not sure I enjoy the tables being turned, me being a man and you being a puppy.”

Eren growled a little before shifting back to his human form. “I’m not a puppy,” he complained with a little pout. It was all playful. In fact, he really didn’t mind being Levi’s puppy.

“You are to me,” Levi simply said, heading toward their little bathroom to start running some warm water into the basin. “Once I get this blood off of me, we’ll pack up some things and head to the main house.”

“What if I like the look of blood on you?” Eren half-teased. He really _had_ gotten more comfortable with Levi, flirting openly with few reservations. Levi made it easy, making him feel unconditionally loved despite their strange, magical relationship. He made it fun to playfully tease and thrilling to explore the newfound pleasures as well. Eren was unafraid to take these new steps, as long as Levi was right there with him.

“The only blood I want to be covered in is yours,” Levi flirted right back, albeit with a violently sexy twist. “But unfortunately, we’re needed elsewhere and you’re making it extremely difficult for me to resist you.”

“I seem to have a knack for it,” Eren grinned, sitting at the edge of their bed. Levi wet a cloth in the warm water of the basin and walked across the cabin to wipe away the blood from Eren’s face, using gentle yet quick swipes. He hadn’t gotten as bloody as Levi, not by a long shot.

“You don’t look too bad bloody yourself,” he murmured while working. “You’d look better in mine, though.”

“Agreed,” Eren was still giving Levi a toothy smile. He watched as his mate strode back to the basin and stripped down into nothing in order to wash himself. Even in doing something so mundane, Levi showed absolute grace and beauty. It wasn’t fair, Eren decided, for someone to look so gorgeous all of the time. Levi had to have been crafted by the wolf-angels or something of that sort.

He was able to keep his hands off of his mate long enough for Levi to wash himself clean and re-dress himself. The two of them packed satchels of clothes, a favorite fur that smelled of the both of them, and a few dried snacks and closed up their cabin. The walk to the main house was short and quiet. Everyone in the village seemed to be closing up for the afternoon, shutting themselves in for the upcoming snowy nights. That morning, the town was bustling with werewolves running this way and that, but by the afternoon it was nearly empty.

The main house was just as warm and welcoming as ever. Right when they walked into the front living room, Eren was immediately warmed by the roaring fire in the hearth and greeted with the little yips of all the orphaned pups. They ran right up to him and Levi, hopping up at their legs and yapping with excited barks.

“Eren!” a melodic voice called out. Levi’s mom soon joined them with open arms, hugging onto Eren in greeting. Her silky, long raven hair was left down to swing about her form. She wore a seemingly traditional dress with wolves embroidered along the hem and a feminine neckline. While it looked beautifully flattering on her, it also looked toasty warm and comfortable as well. “I’m excited you’re here to help Levi keep an eye on all of us during this upcoming blizzard. They’re always quite unpredictable as far as their length and it’s good to have some extra company.”

Kuchel’s sweetness had Eren’s nerves at ease. “I’m happy to be here,” he returned with a smile. “And happy to help, too.”

“You already have with all the food you’ve brought us,” she gushed. “I’m so impressed you did so well on your first hunt!”

“He didn’t do bad. Not bad at all,” Levi agreed with a proud little smile that Eren wanted to see again and again.

“Now I’ll just have to teach you how to cook it,” Kuchel clapped her hands together, seemingly excited about the new task.

“Cook?” Eren’s face lit up. He didn’t have much experience cooking, but always felt guilty making Levi do it all the time. More than anything, Eren wanted to become self-sufficient and have the ability to take care of Levi too.

“Yeah, we’ve got a kitchen back here. Sometime during this storm, I’ll make you my little helper,” she beamed. “Now, get yourselves settled and come on our when you’re finished. Levi, I’ve got a room all set up for you both.”

Levi simply nodded. He held their bags in one hand and took Eren’s hand in the other, guiding him down a long hallway toward the room farthest from the others at the end. The bedroom looked very much like the others with murals etched into the wood walls and a large bed in the center with plenty of furs and pillows. Levi threw their bags and fur onto the bed and sat at the edge, patting the side for Eren to join him. Eren did without hesitation.

While he was expecting some kind of discussion about the upcoming storm or the main house, instead Eren was greeted with Levi’s lips on his neck. Soft lips grazed over his scarring mating mark, light kisses worshiping it like a deity. “You were amazing out there,” Levi murmured against Eren’s skin. “Gorgeous.”

“Gorgeous?” Eren implored, slowly learning that his gruesome attraction was shared.

“Vicious and lovely and bloody and beautiful.” The words came out so softly that Eren nearly missed them. Levi spoke so quietly with his lips still pressed against the marking. “I didn’t expect you to be so… eager. You didn’t shy away.”

“Of course not,” Eren adamantly responded. “It was fun.”

“Was it?”

Eren nodded, shaking Levi a little with his head-bobs. “Running after them was fun, racing so fast through the snow. Felt like we were flying, sort of. Chasing them alongside Isabel felt amazing. But… actually jumping and catching one myself was unlike anything else.”

“It’s your inner wolf coming out.” Eren could feel Levi smiling against his neck. “Next time, you and I can hunt together while Farlan and Isabel do the leg-work.”

Eren straightened up in excitement, officially shaking Levi off him. “Really?”

“Yeah, it’s probably better for us to give Farlan the easier job while he and Isabel are still trying for pups. Wouldn’t want to break him or anything like that on accident. I have to say… it gets pretty dangerous if a deer lands on top of you. You scared me a few times today. Thought you’d get trampled or kicked.”

“I was careful,” Eren insisted, not wanting to blow his chance of being able to hunt alongside Levi.

“I don’t know if you even know the word ‘careful’,” Levi chuckled. “We’ll practice some more, and I’ll show you some more tricks.”

Eren nodded, fine with the idea and couldn’t stop smiling at that point. It was almost as exciting as getting his own sled, but that was something he didn’t think he’d ever get over. He made sure they locked his sled up in the shed, safe from the blizzard.

Levi’s hands were back on him though, yanking him right out of his head and back into reality. Fingers kneaded at his thighs that were still trapped in the tight pants they always wore. It seemed to only make the pants tighter and Eren bit his lip at the sensation.

Scents were everywhere and almost overwhelming. As the days went on in his new state, Eren was still learning on how to pick up on them. Levi’s was of pure claim, of the room and of Eren. It was meant to mark his territory so anyone in the village would know what was his. Eren noticed it was a scent that Levi used often, especially after their little outings or at the end of the day. The scent was so powerful, it erased any others that might have gotten on him when interacting with others.

His eyes felt droopy and he leaned into Levi for support, body heavy with drowsiness. Whatever the pheromones were supposed to do, they were definitely making Eren tired. “Stop that or I’ll fall asleep,” he grumbled in warning.

“That wouldn’t be so bad. You’re cute when you sleep.”

“How can you be grumpy and violent one moment, and then really cute and sweet the next?” Eren wondered aloud.

“Magic, probably.”

“Yeah, probably.” With a little laugh, Eren forced himself back up. “Aren’t we supposed to be helping or something?”

“Yeah, once we’re done settling in. And I’m not settled in yet,” Levi stated, letting Eren fall back onto the bed. Eren yawned and settled back comfortably with his calves dangling off the edge of the bed. He swung them a little but froze when he realized Levi had slunk off the bed and onto his knees before Eren.

“What… are you doing?” Eren dared to ask.

“Settling in,” Levi set his hands on Eren’s knees, pulling them apart to slot himself between them. Fingers trailed up from his knees, along his thighs, and straight to the hem of his pants. Levi left light little strokes along that hem, almost tickling Eren with the gentle touches. It felt nice and alluded to something Eren had been craving in particular. His cock was already hardening in anticipation, blood rushing straight down to form an erection. It didn’t take him long, probably something he could thank his youth for. With just a few mere touches from Levi and a scent thick in the air, Eren was ready.

Levi noticed, letting out a growly little laugh. “Already?”

It wasn’t something Eren could deny. He wouldn’t have even been able to try to lie about that ball of eager energy building up in his gut. “Yes…” he admitted, and it sort of sounded like a plea.

“You want me, pup?”

“Yes,” Eren repeated, embarrassed to admit to his own lust but doing so anyway. He needed Levi to know what he needed or rather _who_ he needed. All the pent-up passion and desire from watching Levi hunt was catching up to him hard and fast, soon enough he wouldn’t be able to control it any longer.

His admission had Levi pulling off Eren’s skin-tight pants, rolling them downward until Eren’s cock sprang free, bobbing up between them. Once Eren’s pants were snug around his thighs, effectively trapping his legs in place, Levi crawled back up to loom over Eren’s pelvis with shining eyes filled with anticipation.

Eren was perplexed as to why Levi wouldn’t just shuck his pants off entirely and ravage him like the beast he truly was. When Eren went to shuffle away to get them into a better, more familiar position, Levi stopped him with two firm hands on Eren’s hips. With thumbs digging into the shallows of his pelvis, Levi leaned down even further to deliver the tiniest kiss to the tip of Eren’s cock.

That slight touch sent Eren’s entire body shivering. He hadn’t expected it, nor did he believe just how they were going to proceed.

In no time at all, that tiny kiss turned into a full-on lap. Levi ran his flattened tongue from the base to the tip of Eren’s cock in a wet, hot lick. Eren was shivering again and holding in the lewdest of moans. He knew werewolves had sensitive ears and could only fear the possibility of one of the pups hearing them. At the thought, he slapped his free hand over his mouth to silence any possible noises.

It didn’t deter Levi from lapping at him again and again until Eren’s entire body was shaking. The sensation was entirely new. It wasn’t quite a hand-job, though it wasn’t quite the same sensation of sex either.

And then Levi took him _into his mouth_ and _fuck_ it felt good. Instead of quaking and shivering in pleasure, Eren was melting into the bed under him and sighing in pleasure. “Levi,” he had to breathe out, his mate’s name seemingly perfect on his tongue. It was met with Levi’s growling, dark chuckle as he continued.

Eren’s hands flew from his face to Levi’s hair, gripping on for dear life. He almost grabbed for the blankets under him but holding onto Levi seemed better and more secure. It grounded him as his body attempted to float away into ecstasy.

Levi sucked him down until Eren was _certain_ the tip of his cock was down Levi’s _throat_ before reeling back and sucking him right back down again. The sound of slurping accompanied Eren’s heavy breathing as the room was filling with the scent of Eren’s need and Levi’s claim. When Levi pulled off, Eren was already whining for more. He looked down to see Levi sucking at his own finger for a moment before resuming his attentions to Eren’s cock. This time, however, Levi’s index found its way toward Eren’s already leaking hole.

When he pushed in it was nearly too much. Nearly. Eren sucked in a huge breath in hopes to hold in any obscene noises Not only was Levi grinding the flat of his tongue against the underside of Eren’s cock, but his finger was working into him and was soon joined by another to fill him up even more.

“Don’t stop,” Eren panted, coming so close to his orgasm so quickly. His inexperience lent him an easy erection but no stamina. Still, he couldn’t just stave it off. There was _no_ holding back anything that Levi was going to give him, and Levi surely wouldn’t relent either. In reality, he wasn’t sure why he felt the need to tell Levi not to stop, knowing that his mate would _never_ leave him hanging or wanting.

Levi let out a growling noise, something beastly that always made Eren’s heart throb. He worked his fingers at a faster pace to match the bobbing of his head. With his one free hand, he latched onto Eren’s thigh with a powerful grip to steady them both. Eren kept his fingers laced into Levi’s hair, yanking at the strands almost violently with need.

Eren came calling out Levi’s name with abandon, forgetting about the pups and everyone else in the main house that could have heard him. He didn’t even think about how he was coming into Levi’s mouth or how Levi swallowed around him, though when he realized that had happened it caused another jolt of pleasure to rush through his gut.

After a few long seconds, Levi pulled his fingers out and crawled his way back up Eren’s torso to give him the sexiest smirk Eren had ever seen. “Good?”

“Better than good,” Eren returned, still breathless. He couldn’t think of any words that meant ‘better than good’ and couldn’t care less.

“You taste good,” Levi licked at his lips, reaching down to pull Eren’s pants right back up. Once Eren was fixed and dressed, he sat fully on the bed and pulled on Eren until the Omega’s head was resting in his lap. “And smell good.”

“Is that what you call settling in?”

“I wanted this room to smell of you and what I can do to you.”

“What about what _I_ can do to _you_?”

Levi just kept smirking at him, obviously proud of himself. “Your pleasure is my pleasure and I will _always_ put you first.”

Eren hummed, satisfied and tired. He was always surprised by how sweet Levi could be, especially when they were alone. Eren had to believe him too. For as long as he’d known, Levi did always put him first. Before everything else, even his own pack, Levi put him first. After returning to the village with him and figuring out his own werewolf heritage, Eren finally had a chance to return the favor. He could help Levi take care of the pack and the rest of his family.

His eyes wandered toward the little window on the far wall, watching as the clouds turned dark and the oncoming storm approached them. Levi started running his fingers through Eren’s hair, petting him while they both watched the window.

“It’s going to be a bad one,” Levi murmured. “I bet it’s already hit the sister pack. Hope they’re okay.”

Eren hummed in agreement as the little snowflakes turned into big ones. The gentle winds creating dancing snow flurries grew rough and fierce. It was amazing and terrifying to Eren just how quickly the beautiful terrain morphed into a deadly scene.

His eyes drooped heavily, ready for a post-coital nap. Just before he could drift off, Levi perked up which caused him to shift. Eren yawned and glanced up to see Levi’s face oddly serious. His eyebrows were scrunched together, and his mouth open just a little bit, as if to say something.

Then, Eren heard it too. A shrill howl came from outside, coming closer and closer. To Eren, it sounded like a scream. Something was coming, and it wasn’t just a storm.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for reading <3 
> 
> If you have any questions, concerns, requests, suggestions or just want to chit-chat, you can find me on tumblr: [snakemittenswrites](https://snakemittenswrites.tumblr.com/)
> 
> Here’s a link to my personal blog as well!: [snakemittens](https://snakemittens.tumblr.com/)


	6. Chapter 6

Levi’s senses were on high-alert as he raced out of his and Eren’s bedroom and down the hall. “Stay there, Eren!” he yelled back to his mate in the most commanding tone he could muster. Eren wasn’t the type to hold back in the midst of danger and Levi could see him racing out right next to him, but there was _no_ way he’d want his Eren to take one step outside into the blizzard and hoped to the heavens that his mate would obey his wishes. There was no time to look back or apologize for his sharpness, he had to go.

Kuchel was rushing toward the front door as well, so quickly that the two nearly ran into each other. She flung the door open and morphed into her wolf-form in a split-second before leaping out into the storm without any hesitation of fear or reluctance. Levi did the same, following her lead as they followed the screeching, helpless howling.

They could only see a few meters ahead of them, the snow blocking any further vision. Levi followed his mother, her black fur easily spotted in the storm. She was just as fast as he was, if not faster as her paws tracked across the terrain. Levi was both terrified of losing her in the storm as well as whatever was out there calling to them.

The snow was as merciless as ever, clinging to his sleek black fur like a second coat and biting at his paws. It didn’t settle into his bones or freeze him out thanks to his thick fur, but it weighed him down and slowly started to take over his senses. The whipping wind left his ears nearly useless if it weren’t for the screeching howl breaking through the wind at high decibels. Pure darkness of the night and heavy snowfall limited his sight, forcing him to rely on sound alone. Winds prevented him from smelling anything at all. The blizzard threatened to render him useless altogether, but Levi still pushed on right beside his mother.

Finally, they saw a shadow of two sleds in the distance. Levi recognized them immediately, Erwin’s sled team right next to another one of a similar design. The two sleds were headed toward Levi and Kuchel, all wolves howling with fear and alarm. Kuchel skidded between the two and spun around to run alongside the new, unfamiliar sled while Levi ran up and alongside Erwin’s team. Erwin was at the lead, pulling without slowing down at the sight of Kuchel and Levi. Levi fell back to the sled where Nile was mushing, and a few younglings were secured near his feet.

“Storm wiped out our village! Avalanche! Lead us home!” he screamed out against the storm. It was enough to know for that moment and Levi raced up next to Erwin, helping guide the remains of their sister pack home. Kuchel did the same and the two stark black wolves escorted the teams back to the main house.

Once they had reached their village, Levi and Kuchel shifted right back into their human forms to strip off the harnesses of the wolves at top speeds to get them in and into the warmth as quickly as possible. Nile made his way in first with the children first, followed by the second sled team, and lastly Erwin’s team.

Everyone gathered in the warmth of the main living space, catching their breath and all transforming into their human shapes. The younglings huddled by the fire, whining and crying with fear. Every face in the room was filled with dread and the bitter scents accompanied their expressions.

Finally, Erwin spoke. “Except for us, the entire village has been destroyed. With only two sleds in working conditions, we took as many as we could and escaped.”

Silence and grief followed as everyone looked at their feet and held back tears. Somewhere in the silence, Eren crept down the hallway and took his place at Levi’s side, wearing the same distressed scent as everyone else as well as the same depressed frown.

Levi looked up to see a mixture of emotions covering his mother’s face. Greif for losing her kin. Anger for the storm that swallowed them. Regret for not being able to do anything else about it. Her fists shook at her sides from clenching so hard and she looked up to the ceiling with a look of pure agony. At her loudest volume and strongest tone, she howled.

After her first howl, everyone else joined in. Everyone threw their head back toward the heavens and opened their mouths to release a human-howl for their family. They cried, screamed, wailed, and _howled_ for those they had lost. Once they were all breaking down into tears and sobs rather than agonized howls, and once those sobs muffled into sniffles and dark silence, Kuchel got to work in distributing blankets and warm cups of tea. Eren followed her lead first, leaving Levi’s side to help her.

Levi found a place to sit next to Erwin, ready to hear the death count but only got silence. His friend stared at the hardwood floor with wide, quivering irises and the heaviest of hearts. Many knew Erwin as a ruthless, unempathetic leader who would stop at nothing for greatness, but Levi knew that Erwin was just a fraud. Erwin carried the biggest burdens and owned the biggest heart. He knew he needed to wear a brave mask, to appear fearless as a leader and an Alpha, but Erwin was just as fragile as anyone else. If Levi had it his way, Erwin would be a commander and a pack leader rather than…

“You should be happy you got out alive,” Nile mumbled to an inconsolable Omega, one of whom pulled the second sled. He paced around the room, expelling a scent that encouraged fear and silence rather than comfort. Many may have imagined Erwin to be unempathetic, but Nile was true to the word and cared only about himself. It was just another thing Levi could see as plain as day. Erwin was a saint pretending to be a sinner while Nile held up a pitchfork and named himself Satan.

 Suddenly, Eren was kneeling down next to Levi and Erwin holding out two cups of tea. Erwin broke out of his trance to look up at Eren and actually smile. “Thank you, Eren,” he genuinely spoke while taking the cup. “I needed some warmth tonight.”

“Are you done helping?” Levi asked, taking the second cup from his mate.

Eren nodded, keeping his eyes lowered from any gaze. It was clear his mate was feeling just as horrible as everyone else in the room. Even though Eren didn’t personally know any of the fallen, they were still his family and Eren recognized that. Levi figured it was strange for him to see his new friends in this state, and he was attempting to remain respectful while staying close to those he trusted.

“Come here,” Levi sighed, holding out an arm to create a space for Eren to snuggle into at Levi’s side. His mate wasted no time in scooting over right next to Levi and resting his head on his mate’s shoulder. Eren shrunk down to appear as small as possible at Levi’s side and Levi let him, securing his arm around the Omega and softly petting at Eren’s hair in a soothing way.

“He hurts for them,” Erwin whispered, low and almost inaudibly. “He’s angry for them too.”

Levi looked down to see Eren’s face scrunched up in a mournful glare. His mate’s body shook with _something_ , whether it was grief, fury or both.

“He’s a good match for you and will make a good leader too,” Erwin decided softly. Eren wasn’t even paying attention, too lost in his own thoughts to pay any mind to Erwin’s words.

They sat in silence for a while longer before Kuchel started ushering people to spare bedrooms, urging them to get some rest. Levi tucked Eren in before heading back out to check on everyone else. His mother and the rest of the leaders were in deep conversation in the main room, most likely discussing a passing ceremony and how to proceed.

“We’ll need to go back and gather up any remaining resources,” Nile firmly stated. “There was plenty left behind.”

“We need to go back and search for _survivors_ ,” Kuchel overrode Nile’s decision with furrowed brows. “As soon as possible. Beyond that, we need to honor those who we’ve lost.”

Keith added, “We’ll need more food for newcomers as we only prepared for our own numbers. Keeping them comfortable is also a top priority.”

Hannes nodded along with Keith. “And more wood to stock the fires as well as medical attention.”

“I can take a team of hunters into the woods after the storms calm down,” Levi decided. “It may take a while to gather up what we need.”

“Not if we bring sleds,” Eren was suddenly there, having crept behind Levi during the discussion. He crossed his arms and kept his eyes lowered in the midst of so many powerful Alphas, but his voice rang strongly. “If we pile up our trappings on the sleds and pull them back rather than dragging them back one by one, we can spend more time hunting and less time dragging them back. The same goes for firewood.”

“That’s… brilliant. I can’t believe we hadn’t thought of that before,” Kuchel’s eyes widened.

“Because we wouldn’t waste our sleds on something so menial,” Nile grumbled. “They’re for travelling and racing, not for errands.”

“They should be,” Eren bravely looked up to meet Nile’s eyeline. “If we utilize the sleds more, they’ll save so much time and energy. We can build smaller sleds optimized for carrying supplies back and forth, I know Mike has the skills to do so.”

Levi wasn’t sure what to say, but he couldn’t help the sense of pride radiating from his body. His Eren was so fucking smart and gutsy enough to stand up for himself. He knew his mate was never the type to roll over and submit so easily, and it was almost hilarious to see him step up to someone like Nile. Levi couldn’t even try to wipe the satisfied smirk off of his own face.

“Aren’t you going to say something?” Nile glared at Levi. Omegas standing up to Alphas wasn’t common, especially when it came to pack leader meetings.

“No,” Levi shrugged. “He’s right.”

“He is,” Hannes agreed with a grin. “I like this plan. I can help Mike craft these new sleds and get some more harnesses made as well.”

“I’ll organize our territories to make sure we’re not over-hunting,” Keith turned toward his room. “And I’ll draw you up a map, Levi, and you can create the scouting patterns.”

Suddenly, Nile’s duties were being relinquished to Levi instead which had the man fuming. With responsibilities passed out, everyone took their leave to get some rest for the night. Kuchel gave Eren a secret little smile before retiring as well, bidding her boys a restful night.

Levi put an arm around Eren to guide him back to their bedroom. “I thought I had tucked you in tight enough to prevent any escape,” he teased in a low, soft voice.

“It’d take shackles and a cell to keep me contained. You know that.” Eren smiled, unable to hold in the scent of pure joy and excitement. Levi imagined he had to be plenty pleased with himself for contributing such a well-received plan.

Again, and again, his mate continued to surprise him in the best of ways. The light shined on Eren and somehow Levi knew that he didn’t just get a beautiful mate but a strong and capable leader at his side as well.

* * *

“This is _so_ much better!” Isabel enthused, holding onto the back of her sled while Farlan pulled her along. They’d stacked up a huge pile of game on her sled and secured it with rope to keep it all together and prevent it from slipping off. She supervised their trappings while Farlan raced back toward town. The success of his suggestion had Eren beaming yet again. It took every ounce of courage he had to get it out in front of Kuchel and the others, but he was happy that he did. There were now teams of two that were taking sleds to get food and firewood, so many that they ended up overstocking on both.

After they held a ceremony for the lost werewolves from the sister pack, delegated new living arrangements for newcomers, and scouted through the destroyed village with no luck, things seemed to find a new sort of calm. Weeks had passed and Eren learned yet again that time was truly the best medicine.

“The only thing better than this is if we could literally fly or something,” Isabel laughed again, finding the sled-ride exhilarating. Eren nodded and gripped onto his own sled that Levi was hooked up to, running alongside Farlan toward the village.

The four of them must have noticed it all at the same time as Levi and Farlan started to pick up the pace. All of them looked toward the village where they could spot smoke rising to the heavens. It wasn’t the usual amount either from the fire they kept rolling throughout the day. The smoke was black as night and stood out starkly against the white skies, the color alone alarming all four wolves. It wasn’t just the color though, but also the sheer amount of it puffing out into the sky.

When they arrived, the entire village was surrounding a giant fire, all of them yelping and yelling and howling at one another in complete chaos. That morning when Farlan, Isabel, Levi, and Eren had left for hunting, everything had been normal and quiet. In just a few hours, what could have spurred everyone on in such a violent way? Eren figured a lot of things happened like that: suddenly and out of the blue. Still, there was only one person Eren could ever imagine to start such a war in a village of peace.

Nile stood with his arms crossed in the midst of the battle, the corners of his lips twitching up into a smile as he struggled to hold a firm frown.

“What the hell is going on here?” Levi yelled out once he changed his forms and wrestled the straps of the sled harness off of himself. While his tone and scent aimed to silence and control the situation, it did nothing other than set Eren on edge and Farlan grabbing onto Isabel’s hand with worry.

“Looks like this village was much more fragile than you thought,” Nile muttered.

“Everyone, please calm down!” Kuchel stood on the nearest table to tower over them all, yelling and waving her hands in an attempt to defuse the situation.

“He’s too young! We need a _leader_ , not a child!”

“How _dare_ you question our pack leader?!”

“There hasn’t been a challenge in many eras, it’s an old custom!”

“It’s the only way to find out who is _strong_ and who is _weak_!”

The voices shouting around each other drown out any thoughts Eren could have of his own, and the rising scents of frustration and malice clouded around the central area. A challenge for leadership? His eyes darted over to Nile who stood strongly with his arms crossed.

“Kuchel cannot fight at her age, she’ll die,” a woman standing near Eren said softly. “But if she doesn’t fight… she’ll lose her right to lead us.”

“She can’t even handle this chaos, maybe someone new would help,” her mate responded, seemingly annoyed.

Eren looked back to Levi, only to find that his mate was no longer at his side. With a frantic glance around, he realized Levi had leapt onto the table beside his mother. “ _I_ will fight in my mother’s place,” he called out above all other voices, managing to silence the crowd. “Whomever _dares_ to question her ability to lead can answer to me.”

Eren shook from the sheer dominance Levi had expelled amongst the group and found himself frozen in place as he digested what had just happened. Levi would fight for his mother’s place as pack leader. Fight and win or die.

It had happened so unexpectedly. Eren knew of the eventuality of a fight for leadership, but not so soon. He glared at Nile, wondering if it was all a part of the wolf’s plans. Attack while the pack was weak with mourning and loss. Attack while Levi was busy forming a true bond with Eren. Attack while the pack was fragile and weaker than ever. It was dirty and cruel, but it had worked.

“It’s a fight for pack leadership, not to save someone else’s skin,” Nile reminded them.

“Then he’ll fight for my place as leader,” Kuchel crossed her arms and declared. “He’s ready.”

“You’re entrusting our pack to a child who spent a majority of his life amongst the humans, giving his time to a stray pup while abandoning us?” Nile accused.

“He was given a mission to bring one of our boys home, and he succeeded no matter how long it took.”

“As great of a scout he is, that doesn’t make him a leader.”

The rest of the wolves were murmuring, which wasn’t a good sign. Eren could hear as many wolves agreeing with Nile as they did Kuchel. His first impressions of a big, happy pack family were altered at that moment. Nothing appeared as it seemed, and his new home was no exception. Werewolves definitely weren’t humans, but they weren’t angels either. They were violent, feral, and followed a strict pack order.

“We commence the ceremony once the moon is at its highest,” Levi spoke through grit teeth, his anger radiating off of his body. “Unless you decide to back out by then.”

“Be ready,” Nile warned, stalking off to the main house. “And when you’re dead, I’ll feel free to take your home, your possessions, and your mate.”

It seemed good enough for the rest of the pack as they scattered too, most of them heading to their own homes. The decision passed so casually, it took Eren by surprise that it was settled so quickly.

Levi helped Kuchel off of the table and hopped down himself. They shared some quiet words before heading closer to Eren. Kuchel rustled his hair with a strange confidence and hummed, “I’ll make the preparations.”

Eren had his mouth open but wasn’t sure what to say. What was there to say? The look of pure determination on Levi’s face was as alluring as it was fearsome. “Could you help me with something?” Levi asked, his voice surprisingly gentle compared to the downright murderous look on his face. With a nod, Eren agreed to anything that Levi could have asked him to do at that moment.

Levi took his hand and led them back to their cabin, a happy change of atmosphere compared to the tense main area. It had quickly become their sanctuary, a place where it was simply Levi and Eren. Eren made up a fire, something Levi had taught him, while Levi searched for something in their dresser. The fire didn’t take long and Eren sat on the rug in front of the hearth while he waited.

Eventually, Levi brought over a little pot of paint. It softly glowed in a blue-green hue in its glass jar and Levi handed it to Eren, flopping down next to him and crossing his legs. “I want you to paint me.”

“All over? Like some kind of glowing goblin?” Eren stared blankly between Levi and the paint.

“Remember those markings you found me in? I want you to paint me with this again, to protect me from whatever Nile throws at me.”

“Oh…” Eren vaguely remembered a conversation he had with Levi about the painted patterns. “I don’t know how,” he sadly replied.

“It’s not complicated. You paint what you feel. You can’t do it wrong.” Levi stripped off his shirt and pants, leaving him in a tight pair of underwear and nothing else. His skin was pale and gorgeous, marked with a collection of scars that only added to his mate’s beauty. He closed his eyes, still and patient for Eren to begin.

Eren took a deep breath and dipped his index and middle finger into the paint, realizing it was oddly warm. He started with Levi’s arms, swirling the paint into spiraling patterns against porcelain skin. It wrapped around Levi’s bicep and forearm like a snake, curling protectively around each arm as if Eren were holding onto both. Next came his torso and back, where Eren got a little more creative adding in dots and his best efforts to mimic snowflakes that all spun and connected around Levi’s body.

As he worked, he realized just how intimate it was. He was painting his own protection onto Levi while he kept the thought of Levi potentially dying in battle far from his mind. Still, it wasn’t easy to just deny. As much as he believed in Levi, it wasn’t impossible.

He didn’t realize he was crying, but the tears flowed down his cheeks while he moved on to Levi’s legs, continuing to sketch on all of the things he loved about Levi and what they’d been through. Stars for the nights they spent together that sparkled with playfulness, a moon on Levi’s lower back for light, a handprint for Eren, and a pawprint for Levi.

“Our story doesn’t end here,” Eren spoke softly into the silence as he finished up.

“Of course not,” Levi agreed with a smile. “During this fight, Eren, you cannot interject. Just trust me, and we’ll be okay.”

“Right,” Eren begrudgingly extinguished his inner plans to help. “So, fight. If you don’t fight, you can’t win.”

“Right,” Levi chuckled a little, turning his eyes toward the window. He had the most confident gaze, as if nothing could harm him whatsoever. It helped calm Eren’s heart, making him feel as though his mate were purely untouchable. “It’s time soon.”

Eren hummed sadly, leaning forward to kiss his mate on the lips. The moment he did, the paint on Levi’s bare skin glowed brighter. It was deep, honest, and Eren hoped it could convey just how much he loved the beast before him. “Don’t lose,” he whispered when they broke apart.

Levi caressed Eren’s cheek as gently as possible, skimming over skin so delicately. “You’re taking this quite well, pup. I didn’t think you’d be okay with a fight to the death.”

“I’m okay with it because you’re not going to die.”

“Someone else will, at my jaws.”

“Someone else will because they begged for it. Because they were stupid enough to ask for a fight.” Eren sighed. He wasn’t a stranger to death and had stared it down a few times during his life on the streets. In a world of beasts, he needed to accept that his life wouldn’t always be pretty. He kissed the tip of Levi’s nose. For Levi’s sake, he’d never admit that he was a little nervous. But, per usual, Levi caught everything based solely on Eren’s scent.

Levi reached around Eren to the little pot of paint, dipping in his index finger with one hand and taking Eren’s in the other. On the back of Eren’s hand, he drew a snowflake to mimic the ones Eren had drawn on him. “If you get scared during the fight, kiss this snowflake and I’ll feel it too. Start planning our night together, okay? We’ll do anything you want when this is over.”

Eren nodded as he was pulled up by Levi and led out the door. The center of the village looked entirely different than usual. The bonfire in the middle was lit with glowing metals at the bottom, turning the flames bright colors of green and blue. Wolves were all surrounding the circle in a huge ring, all of them chatting. Some were human while others were canine, the entire assortment waiting for the fight. Levi led Eren to where Kuchel and their friends were all standing with expressions of worry and frustration. Eren stood by Kuchel and watched as Farlan gave Levi a short hug, pressing their foreheads together and sharing some short words of encouragement. Isabel hugged Levi properly, not saying anything at all.

Kuchel took her son into her arms and whispered something into his ear, words that could only be shared between a mother and son. She kissed his cheeks and murmured something Eren _could_ hear. “Your markings are beautiful, Levi. They’ll keep you safe in battle.”

Levi nodded, smiled, and gave one last kiss to Eren before turning. The little black wolf that Eren had loved since he was a child nosed at his thighs and Eren rubbed the soft space between Levi’s ears. It took him back to the days when they were starving and just trying to live out one more day, and now they were fighting to protect what they loved.

Levi rounded the bonfire, waiting for his challenger with sharp eyes and a low growl. The fur along his spine raised up in anger, puffing up to make him look savage.

Another growl gave away Nile’s location on the other side of the fire, both of them circling on opposite ends. Nile’s wolf form was larger than Levi’s with black fur tipped with gray. He snarled, bearing teeth and promising a fight.

Levi didn’t wait or hesitate. He rounded the corner and a breakneck speed to meet Nile head-on rather than stalling. While Levi was small, he was fast and packed full of fury. It gave him the advantage of the first move, leaping onto Nile and sending him sliding on the ground.

Nile rebounded quickly by forcing himself up with jaws wide open, ready to bite and rip. He wrenched his neck to the side in order to catch Levi’s flank, biting in but Levi made no sound or yelp. Nile threw Levi to the side, sending Levi skidding back toward the bonfire. For a moment, Eren gasped thinking that Levi had flown right into the fire, but he stopped himself before reaching the flame’s edge.

Levi was quick to run and pounce on top of Levi, as if they were playing like Eren and Levi did. Instead of playful nips and rolling, though, Levi toppled Nile to the ground and bit into the wolf’s shoulder, missing the crucial point on Nile’s neck. At the bite, Kuchel reached down and gripped onto Eren’s hand. He realized he wasn’t the only one holding his breath and at the edge of his seat, worried to death.

“Don’t jump in, I know you want to,” she whispered. “Levi will do what needs to be done.”

Eren realized he’d been leaning forward, as if ready to leap into battle to protect his mate. Her shaking hand held him back, clutching on for a lifeline but also an anchor. He was only able to nod to her and reel himself back, but still couldn’t find words.

Nile rolled them over, so he was on top, pressing down on Levi’s chest to keep him down. It didn’t work, though, and the two continued rolling around the fire exchanging snapping bites and thunderous growls. Occasionally, one would bark out like lightening, completing the whirling storm they created.

A sharp yelp had Eren jumping in shock as Nile had a grip on Levi’s hindfoot between his jaws, crunching down on the delicate bones until something _snapped._ Right when it did, Nile let go and backed away. It looked as if he were grinning with a downright murderous look in his eyes, as if he’d won.

Eren never considered Levi losing. His mate _couldn’t_ lose, _wouldn’t_ lose. Without even thinking, he brought his hand up to his lips to both hold back his own cries and press his lips against the snowflake Levi had drawn for some kind of comfort. The paint was still warm and glowing, connecting them in some sort of magical way.

Nile reared back and sprang toward Levi, growling with excitement and opening his mouth for one last deadly bite. At the very last second, Levi rolled which sent a flying Nile skidding toward the bonfire. Coming up from behind, Levi pounced against his broken leg and landed on Nile’s back. Another yelp came, but Eren couldn’t tell who it was from. Nile attempted to shake Levi off of his back toward the fire, but Levi had a hold on Nile’s neck. With one final, violent shake Nile tossed them both into the center of the blue-green flames.

 _Crunch._ It was a loud, popping sound that Eren couldn’t unhear. The sound would surely haunt him for the rest of his life as he wasn’t sure whom it came from. As much as he wanted to tear his gaze away, to hide from the possibility of never seeing Levi again, he couldn’t.

Kuchel was crying next to him, as was Isabel. Eren _refused_ to shed a single tear until he _knew_ for certain.

A black form stumbled out of the fire and back into the light. The fire still ate away at the dark fur, lighting up the dark wolf in colors of blue and green like an aurora. He looked at Eren first, those dark eyes matching his once the moment was over.

“Levi,” Eren whispered, breaking the silence plaguing the entire village.

His mate threw his head back and _howled_ in bloody victory. The villagers all did the same, human and wolf howling together after the feral battle. Any doubts were extinguished as the challenger burned.

Somewhere in the celebration, Levi shifted forms again. The moment he did, he leg gave out under him and he fell back to the ground. His head lolled to the side, but he forced his eyes to stay open. Kuchel let go of Eren’s hand and pushed him forward toward his lover, and Eren didn’t hesitate. He threw himself at Levi, gathering his mate up in his arms to hold him like he’d nearly lost him.

“I love you,” Eren got out through his tears.

“I love you too,” Levi returned.

He loved his violent, feral, bloody beast of a mate. No matter how dark their lives became, his mate would bring a beautiful light through the terror and fight to stay together.

* * *

“I think I can get up now,” Levi told Eren for the twentieth time that day. He’d been sworn to bedrest for at least a week while his leg healed before moving on to crutches. Werewolves healed quickly, but not fast enough in Levi’s opinion.

“No,” Eren simply said, tending to the fire and taking the kettle off of the flames in order to make tea. “We can take a little trip, though.”

“A little one, hm?” Levi wondered. What did his little mate have planned?

“A sled-ride for the two of us. This time, I’ll be strapped up and you get to ride on my sled,” Eren proposed. “There’s something I want you to see.”

Eren had been obsessed with the sleds since the battle for pack leadership. He was elected to join Erwin’s team as the musher, leading them back and forth between the old sister pack’s village to gather supplies and help with repairs. Levi was left feeling a bit lonely most days as his mate refused to stop moving. The nights were wonderful, though, as he was able to get Eren all to himself.

“It’ll be fun. Normally, _you’re_ the wolf,” Eren snickered.

“I still like it better that way.”

“It reminds me of our life before…” Eren smiled, pouring Levi’s cup of tea and handing it over. “But I think I like this better.”

“Do you?”

“I do. I’m happy I get to have you as my mate.”

The words had Levi’s heart swelling with pride and joy. “I’m happy too.”

They watched the sunset from their cabin window, sipping on tea and enjoying the comfortable quiet between them. Usually, Eren would ramble about sledding or all the things he wanted to do with Levi when his leg healed up. Instead, his mate seemed quite pensive. Instead of prying, Levi knew Eren would speak on his own time and simply waited.

Two cups down and Levi’s stomach was warm and happy. Eren carried away the cups in a bit of a rush and knelt at the side of their bed, giving Levi his best set of puppy-eyes. “Ready to go?”

“Yeah, yeah,” Levi chuckled, happy to finally leave the cabin. He limped on his leg and Eren was quick to help support Levi’s weight by forcing his mate to lean on him while they walked out. Eren’s sled was set up already and once Levi got a steady hand on the sled, Eren turned into his wolf form effortlessly. Levi helped get Eren into the harness and once he adjusted himself on the sled, Eren took off like a bullet.

Levi hadn’t ridden on a sled in years, but quite enjoyed the sight of Eren having such a good time pulling. He must have taken pointers and lessons from Erwin’s team, as he took paths that made the ride smooth and easy on Levi’s legs. They didn’t end up going as far as Levi imagined, nor was there a clear destination. Eren took them out into the middle of the blank tundra, heading out farther and farther into the nothingness.

Eren slowed to a stop at the top of a snowy hill, waiting for the sled to completely stop before changing back to a human and rushing back to help Levi off the sled. They sat at the top of that hill as the sun set, and Levi had to ask. “So, what are we doing here?”

“Waiting.”

“For?”

“The rest of our lives,” Eren smartly replied with a little smirk. “I wanted to… thank you. For bringing me here, waiting for me to be ready for all of those years… for being my best friend. I probably would have been dead by now if you hadn’t brought me home.”

“I’d have kept you alive,” Levi assured.

“But if I wasn’t a werewolf…”

“I would have stayed with you,” Levi confidently replied, revealing the truth. “I won’t leave you. For anything.”

Eren smiled warmly and leaned in to rest his head on Levi’s shoulder. “I won’t leave you either.”

Darkness filled the sky and Levi finally realized what they had travelled so far out into the openness to see. Like magic, the most beautiful lights filled the night sky. Blue, purple and green ribbons of light danced across the darkness amongst the stars, painting the grim darkness in beautiful color.

“Your mom told me about these lights and how you couldn’t see them from the human’s town or the village. She said sometimes you needed the complete darkness in order to see the light.”

“That sounds like her,” Levi laughed, gazing up at the colors. “And they’re beautiful like you.”

The brightness of Eren’s smile was ten times as gorgeous as the lights in the sky. It made everything worth it, the cold nights and the endless battles. Levi would have done it again, too, violently tearing through any barrier to get Eren to smile again. His feral devotion ran deeply, and he could tell that Eren’s did too. No matter what they needed to face, they could face it together. As men and as beasts, their love could light their way through any amount of darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for sticking with me to the end <3 I lost a bit of inspiration for this one, but I also wanted to give you all a good ending so I hope this ended up as a fun little story for us all to enjoy!
> 
> If you have any questions, concerns, requests, suggestions or just want to chit-chat, you can find me on tumblr: [snakemittenswrites](https://snakemittenswrites.tumblr.com/)
> 
> Here’s a link to my personal blog as well!: [snakemittens](https://snakemittens.tumblr.com/)

**Author's Note:**

> (I watched Balto and got all excited about sled-dog werewolves, I'm so sorry (°∀°))
> 
> If you have interest in werewolf fics, I have another called [Earthshine](http://archiveofourown.org/works/10967496/chapters/24417039) that you can check out if you please!
> 
> If you have any questions, concerns, requests, suggestions or just want to chit-chat, you can find me on tumblr: [snakemittenswrites](https://snakemittenswrites.tumblr.com/)
> 
> Here’s a link to my personal blog as well!: [snakemittens](https://snakemittens.tumblr.com/)


End file.
